The 6th Edition of MUTEK.AR, organized by Artlab, stood out for its well-curated artistic selection, presenting a wide spectrum of proposals that included audiovisual shows of various scales, immersive installations, explorations in artificial intelligence, and offerings that spanned both dance floors and outdoor experiences.

The excellent technical production ensured Hi-Fi standards at all festival locations, allowing performances by artists such as Martin Messier, Jennifer Cardini, Ciel, Piezo, Priori & Jek, Honeydrip & Emma Forgues, Sebastián Verea, Fernando Molina, and Motia & Nait Saves to become unforgettable moments.

MUTEK.AR reaffirms itself as the main reference for digital creativity and large-scale A/V performances in the Southern Cone.

A/Visions
The flagship program of MUTEK returned as part of the Argentine version of the festival in this maximized 6th Edition. At the opening gala at the Teatro Alvear, the three scheduled performances formed a balanced program of high artistic quality and large-scale audiovisual impact. The opening was by Argentine Sebastián Verea with the premiere of his work Alma, a poetic inquiry into the human-machine relationship. This was followed by Canadians Ida Toninato & Pierre-Luc Lecours with their work Homeostasis, combining modular synthesis, baritone sax, and real-time video generation. The highlight was the incredible and complex performance by Canadian Martin Messier, who, in his first presentation in South America, excelled with 1 drop 1 thousand years, an artistic engineering work that combines a sophisticated hydraulic system, sound, and lighting.

Play

This program took place entirely at Artlab, “the MUTEK house.” Over two consecutive nights, the audience enjoyed a selection of audiovisual performances of varied character. On Friday night, C03RA (UY) displayed his on-screen scenarios fueled by micro-sound and maximalist attacks, and Italian Piezo, in a perfect match with HTML, ignited the audience with his combination of synthetic sounds, irregular breaks, and industrial extracts. Carlos Alfonsín closed that same night with an unforgettable house music masterclass set, in a visual atmosphere of analog glitches generated by melon_manga. On Saturday, Fernando Molina premiered Cifra, an A/V work with elaborate graphic support that addresses the chaos-control relationship, chance, and financial power. Priori & Jek (CA/QC+US) surprised with their audiovisual performance with nods to cinematic language in a visual production inspired by bucolic natural settings, supported by ambient variations and soft techno. The underground spirit of Montreal arrived with the live performance of Honneydrip & Emma Forgues, electronic dub, and visual psychedelia. In Artlab’s gallery, a collective exhibition titled Back to the cave was mounted, in collaboration with the Berlin gallery Untitled, which included 16 artists from different parts of the world.

Amplify
At Artlab, the culmination event of the Amplify Digital Arts Initiative took place, a collaborative project between the British Council, Artlab, and the Williams Foundation that, since 2018, has connected and empowered artists in digital arts, sound, and immersive storytelling from Canada, Latin America, and the United Kingdom. During the day, the final report of the initiative was presented, and the most recent collaborative projects were exhibited, with the participation of artists such as Mecha MIO & MAQ, Emilia Álvarez and Laura Fuchs, Sáccea & Plantasia, Alexandra Torres & Patricia Bernal, among others. The evening culminated with sets by Ana Hagen and Camila Isabel, marking the pulse of an extended edition of MUTEK.AR.

Nocturno
The celebratory moment of MUTEK.AR took place at Deseo, where an energetic and unforgettable night was experienced. The audience filled the venue in Villa Ortúzar and enjoyed a minimalist staging that placed the booth on the dance floor, creating closer contact between artists and clubbers. Ciel from Canada, Jennifer Cardini from France, and the young local DJ and producer Cia Rebeck shone at Nocturno, which also featured Desglose and Seph. Cardini’s set stood out, an artist eagerly awaited by the Argentine public, who delivered all her energy in her relentless and almost athletic techno set. Those who were there will remember the intensity of that night until the next edition of MUTEK.AR.

Immersive Works at CAI (Centro Audiovisual Inmersivo)
CAI joined as a novel location with three immersive works. In the walls lined with screens, the audience, either lying on cushions or exploring the space, immersed themselves in the proposals of the creative duos. Participants included Julián Tenembaum & Manuel Strajman (piano, electronics, and geometric abstraction), Vanesa Massa & Sophos (ambient and contemplative abstraction), Motia & Nait Saves (a work of political narrative on identity).

Experience x Soundscape
In this maximized edition of the festival, the Experience section returned, a sort of outdoor coda. The chosen location was Casa Futuro, whose facilities are situated by the lakes of Palermo. On an outdoor stage, artists related to Soundscape, the ambient, electronic, and multisensory experiences label promoted by Artlab, performed. In a space unknown to the public that opened its doors for the first time last Sunday, the participating artists were Sindicato del Drone, Eric Olsen, Javier Medialdea, Insecto. In the indoor area of the venue, a small exhibition by Dano Marello could be visited, with backlights and a high-definition monitor, based on the multiple covers of the first Soundscape compilation, and, as night fell, the closing concert with an inflatable structure by Santiago Bartolomé & Epojé.

The 6th Edition of MUTEK.AR was supported by Canada Arts Council, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, British Council, and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires.

MUTEK.AR and Artlab thank all participating entities and especially the artists for their dedication and commitment.