As the world becomes increasingly digital, it is important to remember the value of creativity and innovation in all areas of life. The IE Foundation recognizes this and has made it a priority to promote diversity, entrepreneurship and innovation through their work.
On April 24, the IE Foundation celebrated its opening of IE Arts and Humanities Week. The event revolves around the foundation’s focus on art, and the event is doing so through collaboration with artists from the Festival Urbano de Arte Digital de Madrid (MMMAD). The Foundation invited a panel of three different artists to come and talk.
Diego Iglesias
The first to speak was Diego Iglesias, an architect, researcher, and co-founder and co-director of MMMAD. He explained how the festival was started in 2019 by digital artists who wanted to create a space for digital art and connect people together. The best place to exhibit this type of art is in a public space, which is why they chose advertisement screens for their first event. This year’s festival is the fourth edition and featured 400 public screens across 12 different venues, including IE. Not all of the artwork featured has a strong link to digital art – there will also be sculptures, poetry and paintings on display, embracing a wide variety of artistic practices.
Feileacan McCormick
One of the featured artists at IE Arts and Humanities Week is Feileacan McCormick, a Norwegian artist whose work explores the intersection of technology and life under the sea. McCormick’s artwork brings the colors, textures and movements of undersea to life. Through his work, McCormick explained that he allows viewers to imagine colors they have never seen before, bringing the physical into the digital in a unique and creative way. One of his works will be at the tower for the next month and before it was at the UNESCO headquarters in France.
Enrique Agudo
Finally, Enrique Agudo, an IE alumni and artist, spoke about how he explored themes of youth and education by using mythology as a vehicle to reflect on themes that are relevant to human nature. Through his work, Agudo encourages viewers to explore their own identities and relate to the stories he portrays. Two of Agudo’s pieces, The Alchemist and The Oracle, are on display in the foyer at IE. The Alchemist portrays flowers growing, blooming and perishing in accordance with the seasons and local rainfall. The Oracle features a tree that grows over five years, with the movement of the leaves influenced by local wind data. These pieces have a life of their own, inviting viewers to reflect on the relationship between nature, time and human experience.
By showcasing these pieces on campus during IE Arts and Humanities Week, the IE Foundation hopes to ignite a passion for the arts in its students and encourage them to explore and appreciate the intersection between technology and creativity. As students walk through the IE campus and witness the thought-provoking pieces by talented artists, they are encouraged to think critically about the relationship between art, technology, and human experience.
Featured photo by: IE University
