São Paulo Viral – A arte é um

17 artificial sculptures, created by an algorithm and resembling a virus, invade Avenida Paulista. They don't do any damage. These are Augmented Reality works created by the artist Leonel Moura with the implementation of NextReality.

These “viruses” highlight the importance of Avenida Paulista as the center of Brazilian culture. In this pioneering exhibition, the city becomes the great canvas of artistic expression.

At a time of dire effects from the pandemic, art and culture remain a fundamental undertaking. We will prevail.

Bio:

Leonel Moura is a pioneering artist in the application of robotics and artificial intelligence to art. Since the beginning of the century, he created several painting robots. The first paintings made in 2002 with a robotic arm were on the cover of the MIT magazine dedicated to Artificial Life. RAP, created in 2006 for the Museum of Natural History in New York, makes drawings independently, decides when the work is ready and signs.

Other works include interactive installations, "swarm" paintings and sculptures, and the play RUR by Karel Capek with 3 robot actors, premiered in São Paulo in 2010. The Robotarium, inaugurated in 2007, described as a zoo of robots, was the first of the world.

In recent years Leonel Moura has produced great sculptures in 3D printing and Augmented Reality projects.

He is the author of several books on Art and Science.

In 2009 he was appointed European Ambassador for Creativity and Innovation by the European Commission.

Recently, he participated in the exhibition "Artistes & Robots" at the Grand Palais in Paris and in the exhibition "Imaterial / Re-material: A Brief History of Computing Art" at the UCCA Museum, Beijing.