Image Courtesy of Sónar festival.
When friends Ricard Robles, Enric Palau, and Sergi Caballero imagined a festival thirty one years ago, little did they know that they would go on to revolutionise the very meaning of the festival format. And what better name for a festival that began with a dream, than Sónar.
Since that seed was planted, Sónar has become a global nexus for music, technology, art, performance, science and culture to intertwine. Amplifying the present and the future of the musical landscape, hosting everyone from established artists to local microscenes, Sónar provides a fertile ground for experimentation and cross-disciplinary connection. After three decades and over 100 editions worldwide, Sónar continues to re-define what a festival can be, removing barriers and forging connections between audiences, genres and creative disciplines. In short, the festival seeks to question: what is the reality of the now, and how might that reality evolve?
Ahead of its 31st Edition in June, SLEEK speaks to Sónar curators Ikram Bouloum and Antonia Folguera who, for the first time since finalising the lineup, share and reflect – with such enthusiasm and excitement – upon what we can expect this year.
Hosted in Barcelona, an impressive and expansive line up of musical performances, DJ sets, workshops and panel discussions is set to unfold. From a debut performance of Moon Safari by Air to a one-off, site specific performance by multidisciplinary artist Blackhaine; a film festival spotlighting AI cinema to parties hosted by hyper-local queer and feminist collectives; audio-visual lectures and masterclasses on the convergence of art and Artificial Intelligence, to a high-energy dance set by Gabber Eleganza – the list could truly go on.
And while they’re some big names on the line up (Laurent Garnier, TOMMY CASH, Anetha, Floating Points, to name a few), the curators are also very excited to spotlight the local creative microscenes. “In the last ten years or so, Barcelona has seen the growth of many collectives who are representing their own reality through music and performance. It’s important for us to support local artists and movements, especially alongside other international collectives who share similar visions is super interesting,” explains Ikram, Head Booker of Sonar by Day.
This year’s line up introduces DJ and producer TAYHANA, who is the founder of South America’s most radical DIY party Club Latinx. Through Club Latinx, the artist aims to provide a safe space where dialogues around immigration and gender identity can happen through dance and music. For Sonár, she’ll be extending this to a festival through a party with friends and collaborators Simona, Slim Soledad (also appearing at Sónar by Day) and Mare Advertencia.
With such a varied and expansive line up – one that traversing genres, subgenres and disciplines, – Sónar utilises a three-part structure: Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night and Sónar +D. “Such a format allows us to offer an experimental experience that takes into account the autonomy of the audience, so that they might create their own festival. We’re offering an expansive space from dance-floor orientated performances for those seeking energetic catharsis to non musical programming focusing on education and knowledge. We want audiences to discover the many pockets of the festival for themselves,” Antonia shares. “It’s a space for us to propose as many experiences as possible – whether that’s dancing, experiencing music in a contemplative way, listening to someone tell you a story or learning something new.”
“In such a structure, we’re able to question formats and explore the possibility of creating new ones,” adds Ikram.
Image Courtesy of Sónar.
Sónar +D is perhaps the category most unique to the festival, and is the one that integrates education into the programme. Exploring how creativity is a tool to imagine new futures, the “anti-disciplinary” brings together thinkers, artists, technologists, scientists and more into a carefully curated programme of talks, masterclasses and groundbreaking performances, with a focus on inspiration and networking.
“To be anti-disciplinary is not multidisciplinary,” Antonia, Head Booker of Sónar +D, shares, when I ask her the meaning of anti-disciplinary. “Instead, it’s more about a space of its own where many many pockets of creativity come together to create something entirely different, something that is ever changing. It’s a place where worlds merge.”
“Yeah, it’s a cross pollination of ideas,” adds Ikram.
“And a space for knowledge transfer. We believe that everyone should have access to what’s going on. It’s about a sharing of knowledge, skills, experiences, tools and ideas to an audience who is curious and engaged. This is especially important in the field of creative technologies.”
Essentially, an endless space for discovery.
Image Courtesy of Sónar.
The festival’s interest, which makes quite an interesting distinction in comparison to others,
is heavily linked to the evolving digital landscape and the ways this influences culture. “Artificial Intelligence is such a widely used and growing technology. Many of the artists in Barcelona are integrating technology into their practice, at least that’s what we’ve witnessed in the last 25 years. By converging this into a wider programming of music, dance and art, we are trying to breed new perspectives and types of expertise,” Antonia explains. “We want to question what we are doing with this technology and how we are evolving as a culture with this technological landscape.”
This focus on artificial intelligence marks the beginnings of a three year exploration of innovations in the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and music. This year’s Sonar +D AI program – powered by S+T+ARTS – features performances from Sevdaliza and Lee Gamble. “In this category, we’re also spotlighting choreography as a protagonist – instead of something that occurs within a music performance – and how it can relate to technology,” Ikram details. “This year, we have Montréal based digital artist and performer Myriam Bleau working in collaboration with choreographer and lighting designer Nien-Tzu Weng for a brand new performance. It’s a super fascinating performance all about faceless avatars, digital identities and virtual bodies.”
How does it feel, I wonder, witnessing the curation come to life?
“It’s a gift to be able to offer a space for all these people to come together and experience joy,” Ikram says, beaming at the thought.
“When my work is done, and I’m able to go out and experience the festival for myself, I like to go to the VIP area and watch the audience from the stage, it’s incredible,” Antonia adds.
And her advice for the festival?
“Just get lost.”
Sónar 2024 returns to Barcelona from 13 to 15 June. Get your tickets here.