Digital Revolution at the Barbican Centre

Opening on July 3, the Barbican Centre presents the world of digital creativity with Digital Revolution, an immersive exhibition of coding, gaming, film and other arts

The Barbican Centre plays host to digital creativity in all its various forms – art, design, film, architecture, music and videogames – in a highly interactive and vast exhibition. The sum total is a fascinating and achingly cool mix of retro gear and astounding pixel perfection. 

Digital Revolution looks at how digital technology has transformed the arts over the past 40 odd years. And what a long way we’ve come since the Magnavox Odyssey*! (You’ll be able to try this and other early games consoles and computers out for yourself in the exhibition’s ‘digital archaeology’ section. Just try not to get the Tetris theme tune stuck in your head.)

There are a huge array of works on display by the digital creatives leading these changes, including the Oscar®-winning teams that put together the visual effects for the films Inception and Gravity, game developers such as Harmonix Music Systems (creators of the catchy Dance Central), eclectic Icelandic singer Björk, will.i.am, and many more. These works pose questions about the future of digital – how wearable technologies, digital communities and creative coding are might transform our lives. 

What makes Digital Revolution stand out for us, were the immersive and interactive artworks. Visitors can ‘sculpt’ responsive 3D forms into a 3D wall created by arts and technology studio Seeper, or interact with luminous, dangling caterpillar like forms that seem to make virtual reality... well, reality. One interactive commission, the multi-screen digital drawing piece Together, harnesses the collaborative forces of the internet, inviting online as well as visitor contributions.

From the retro games console collection, to the mind-boggling glimpses of the digital future, this is a wildly impressive exhibition. Even if Pac-Man means nothing to you, Digital Revolution is well worth a visit. The revolution is well underway, it’s a lot of fun, and we suggest you join in. 

*For the younger readers, that was the first ever games console for ordinary homes

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