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Beyond the Timeline: Sónar +D 2025 Merges Radical Imagination and Tech-Artistry
Under the banner of ‘Cosmic Metabolism’, Xin Liu explores her own understanding of this term, using examples from her work - which includes actions such as sending her own wisdom tooth into space, as an extension of a Chinese tradition. (Photo: courtesy of Sónar Festival.)
Sónar +D 2025, the creative technology and arts program of Barcelona’s renowned Sónar Festival, has just unveiled its much-anticipated lineup. The event, which serves as a meeting point for artists, technologists, and innovators, promises to push the boundaries of creativity, exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and artistic expression.
Sónar +D is not simply a festival—it’s a dynamic, immersive experience designed to inspire new ways of thinking about the future of culture and technology. This year, its program includes groundbreaking themes such as AI + Creativity, Futuring the Creative Industries, and Worlds to Come. The program dives into uncharted territory, addressing topics from quantum computing and non-binary futurism to ecological intelligence and the ancient wisdom of moss.
Highlights of Sónar +D 2025
The program is packed with some of the most exciting developments in the creative and tech fields:
AI Performance Playground: This year’s edition sees the return of the AI Performance Playground, where 12 carefully selected participants will explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and sound. The event will offer a public, experimental performance that challenges the boundaries of both music and technology.
+RAIN Film Festival: Europe’s first festival dedicated to AI-generated cinema returns to Sónar +D, presenting a new series of AI-driven films that push the boundaries of machine learning in narrative storytelling. Check out our previous coverage of the +RAIN Film Festival at the following link.
Maria Arnal’s Ama: Maria Arnal’s new AI-infused performance, Ama, will push the boundaries of vocal identity, exploring the intersection of technology and human voice in a compelling, futuristic show.
Keynote Talks: Renowned artists and thinkers such as Marije Baalman and Joanne Armitage will be leading talks that engage with the ethical and philosophical dimensions of technology. Baalman’s A Musical Understanding of AI as Resonance will focus on the emotional impacts of AI in music, while Armitage’s Automating Bodies will examine how technology reshapes power dynamics.
You can explore the full Sonar +D program in the following link.
The New Museum at Sónar +D: A Bridge Between New York and Barcelona
One of the most significant additions to Sónar +D this year is the participation of The New Museum from New York. This involvement strengthens the global dialogue around art, technology, and cultural innovation, and as a New York-based network, TMN is especially excited to see our hometown institution represented at this forward-thinking festival.
The New Museum in the Lower East Side, NYC. Render by New Museum (Courtesy of Sónar Festival.)
The New Museum will take part in the panel discussion How to Future the Creative Industries, alongside other visionary institutions such as the Serpentine Gallery (London) and the Onassis Foundation (Athens). This session will explore how cultural institutions are adapting to the digital era and redefining their roles in shaping the future of creativity.
Salome Asega, the director of The New Museum’s digital art incubator NEW INC, will also lead a solo talk reflecting on the balance between institutional support and artistic experimentation. Asega describes her approach as both “architecture” (institution-building) and “gardening” (creative care), offering an important perspective on the incubation of new ideas and practices.
Exploring the Intersection of Sound and Emotion at Sónar +D 2024
During the 2024 edition of Sónar +D, TMN had the opportunity to cover a transformative moment in the world of creative technology. In this exclusive interview, we explore Spectrum Mirror, an innovative art piece by Shårky, created at Alvar Aalto University in Finland. The work bridges music and human emotion, revealing how sound can unlock profound insights into our inner worlds. In this brief yet powerful conversation, Shårky shares her unique perspective on technology—not just as a tool, but as a portal to deeper self-exploration and collective resonance. Through Spectrum Mirror, she challenges us to rethink the emotional potential of technology, offering a fresh, human-centric view on its capabilities.
Shårky shares how she sees technology not just as a tool, but as a portal to deeper self-exploration and collective resonance. Video by TMN.
Why Sónar +D is Crucial for the Future of Creativity
At TMN, we believe that the future of creativity lies at the intersection of experimentation, technology, and human expression. Sónar +D offers a unique opportunity for artists and creators to engage with the most pressing questions of our time. It’s a place where AI, art, and immersive experiences converge, providing a platform for innovative voices and projects to shape the cultural landscape of tomorrow.
As the program continues to evolve, TMN will be there to document and share these pivotal moments, offering exclusive insights and coverage from this cutting-edge festival.
Stay tuned for more updates on Sónar +D 2025, as TMN brings you stories and interviews from the frontlines of creativity’s future.
“It’s not about what technology can do, but what it can reveal about us.”
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