The new event focuses on creative challenges posed by new technologies
Blend gathers international leaders of the creative industries at Fira de Barcelona
Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue will host next November 8 the first edition of Blend, a new international festival of creative industries that will bring together an outstanding panel of multidisciplinary artists and creators, ranging from audiovisual directors to musicians, architects, designers and well-known brands. The main goal of the new event is to foster collaborative innovation and to be the event where emerging ideas can be transformed into real commercial solutions.
How will Artificial Intelligence impact creators? Will technology overtake human creativity? How can we combine art and tradition in the new digital era? Can creativity influence established social norms? What are the most disruptive paths to success? These are some of the questions that Blend will address in a broad program of activities with immersive experiences, workshops, round tables, lectures and live music.
The event organized by the British agency Flip180, with the collaboration of Fira de Barcelona, will bring together a thousand creators from more than 14 different fields linked to the world of architecture, design, art, branding, music, and audiovisuals. It will also feature three installations with immersive shows and projections, as well as sessions with 12 internationally renowned speakers.
Among the first confirmed artists are the Nigerian-born British photographer and social activist Misan Harriman, the first black photographer to shoot a Vogue magazine cover and official portraitist of Meghan Markle, wife of Prince Henry of England. Other participants include Harry Yeff, known as Reeps100, a London rapper and beatboxer internationally famous for his wide range of vocal rhythms, and the conceptual artist and researcher Solimán López, who specializes in science and biotechnology.
In addition, unmissable talent, Trevor “Trouble” Andrew, aka GucciGhost, will be at the inaugural Blend. The former Olympic snowboarder is a true master of cross-discipline transformational art and will be taking to the mainstage, as well as unveiling an exciting bespoke GucciGhost installation at the festival.
Blend will also preview future trends by putting together professionals as diverse as Steven Apampa, head of Brand Marketing at Nike Football (EMEA), Dora Osinde, chief creative officer of the Ogilvy agency in Germany, and Portuguese architect Joana Astolfi.
Barcelona, capital of creativity
The CEO of Flip180, Oliver Merlin, said that “Blend has been designed by creatives for creatives” and pointed out that “it is unique compared to other creative festivals in that it aims to facilitate debate, as well as commercial and networking opportunities.”
In turn, the Sales and Marketing Director of Fira de Barcelona, Rubén Dalmau, said that this event allows the institution to take a step forward in its “commitment to the development of new products in fields with a great future such as the creative industries, and contributes to position Barcelona as the capital of design and creativity in the Mediterranean.”
The first edition of Blend is held at the same time as the MIRA festival of digital arts and contemporary music, which will take place on November 8 and 9, turning Fira into the nerve center of creative innovation at a global level thanks to the synergies that can be created between the two events.
More information here
Barcelona, 19 September 2024
Edu Pérez Moya / Salvador Bilurbina
93 233 21 66 / 93 233 26 59
eperezm@firabarcelona.com / sbilurbina@firabarcelona.com