Interview with Casa Batlló CEO Gary Gautier Bernat

In February 2025, as one of Gaudí's most fantastical buildings, the World Heritage site Casa Batlló once again illuminated the entire city in its annual digital art light show. This was the fourth edition of this cultural event, and 2025 was especially chosen to take place during the Chinese New Year as a tribute to Chinese culture.

The two-day light show attracted over 110,000 citizens and tourists to stop and watch. The first performance on the first day was broadcast live for an hour on Catalan television channel TV3, achieving a rating of 12.9% and drawing over 220,000 viewers simultaneously. The event's influence extended far beyond Spain, with nearly 300 media outlets and TV stations worldwide reporting on it, including major outlets such as Spain's El País and La Vanguardia, the UK's Financial Times, and the US's Architectural Digest, which conducted in-depth interviews on the artistic value of the light show and its project leaders. On social networks, related content posts and interactions exceeded 12.7 million, making it a globally discussed cultural phenomenon.

So, what creative concept lies behind this light show that amazed the world? How does it interpret artistic expression across time and space on Gaudí's architectural masterpiece? As the planner of this light show, how did the Casa Batlló team perfectly integrate digital art, architectural aesthetics, and cultural exchange? With these questions, we interviewed Casa Batlló CEO Gary Gautier Bernat to discuss the behind-the-scenes of this visual wonder.

Generally speaking, the timing of Casa Batlló's digital art light show (Mapping) coincides with the Chinese New Year, mainly because there are fewer leaves on the trees in Barcelona during this period, providing better projection effects. Currently, the specific dates for the 2026 light show have not been finalized, but we do not rule out the possibility of continuing to hold it during the Chinese New Year.

In recent years, we have noticed that Casa Batlló's digital art light show has received tremendous attention and affection on Chinese social media. This not only proves Chinese audiences' strong interest in Gaudí's architecture but also strengthens our determination to incorporate more Chinese cultural elements into future events. 2026 is the Year of the Horse in China, and we look forward to creating an even more special and culturally resonant visual feast for Chinese tourists and global audiences.

When selecting collaborating artists, we mainly focus on whether they possess 'the Gaudí spirit' (espíritu gaudiniano). Specifically, we look for artists who are innovative, daring to experiment, skilled in interdisciplinary collaboration, and able to use cutting-edge technology. They usually break traditional art forms, just like Gaudí did. In addition, the artist's technical level and artistic achievement are also important criteria for our evaluation.

In past editions of the digital art light show, we have collaborated with artists from different countries. In the future, we also hope to join hands with more artists with unique creativity to create stunning visual experiences. If there are suitable Chinese artists, we are very much looking forward to collaborating with them to tell artistically compelling stories on the facade of Casa Batlló.

Of course! We have been paying attention to outstanding artists worldwide, including several creative talents from China. In fact, we have already had preliminary exchanges with some Chinese artists, but we have not yet found the most suitable collaboration project.

Casa Batlló is an art palace that connects cultures from around the world. We are well aware of the unique charm of Chinese culture on the global art stage. In the future, we are not only willing to incorporate Chinese elements into the digital art light show, such as traditional Chinese aesthetics, calligraphy, paper-cutting, dragon and phoenix motifs, but also hope to invite Chinese artists to co-create, allowing Chinese culture to have a wonderful chemical reaction with Gaudí's architecture. If there is a suitable opportunity, we could even explore the possibility of collaboration with Chinese brands, making this visual feast an important platform for East-West cultural exchange.

Since its launch, the digital art light show has been extremely well received and has engaged in wonderful artistic dialogues with the city. Barcelona itself is a place full of creativity and artistic atmosphere. There are multiple art festivals such as LLUM BCN, Sónar+D, MIRA Festival, and OFFF Festival, as well as institutions that promote innovative art like the CCCB (Centre for Contemporary Culture), DHub (Design Museum), MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art), and the Miró Foundation (Fundació Miró).

Casa Batlló, as 'The House of Barcelona', has been reflecting the city's innovative spirit through its cultural projects. Therefore, we hope to make the digital art light show an annual fixed artistic event, and not limited to projection technology, but also explore more performance forms, allowing different art genres to dialogue on the facade of Casa Batlló. We hope to bring new surprises every year and showcase the unique artistic charm of Barcelona to global audiences.

Producing a digital art light show on the facade of Casa Batlló is extremely challenging. The building itself is a three-dimensional space with rich colors and forms, and it is located on Barcelona's busiest boulevard, Passeig de Gràcia, surrounded by heavy pedestrian traffic. Both production and presentation require overcoming many difficulties.

Although we cannot reveal specific details yet, we can guarantee that the 2026 digital art light show will use unprecedented technology and artistic techniques to bring audiences an unprecedented awe-inspiring experience. Each year's digital art light show is a new exploration. We will not only continuously improve technology but also give artists ample creative freedom, hoping that each show becomes a unique artwork, like the Casa Batlló left by Gaudí, an eternal cultural heritage.

The Chinese market is extremely important to us. We warmly welcome more Chinese tourists, artists, and brands to come to Casa Batlló and participate in this artistic feast that spans culture and time. If you are an art-loving audience, we sincerely invite you to experience the charm of the Casa Batlló digital art light show in person. If you are a creative artist, we look forward to collaborating with you to create artworks with global influence. If you are a brand enterprise, we are also willing to explore more forms of commercial cooperation, making Casa Batlló a bridge connecting Eastern and Western cultures.

Let's meet in Barcelona in 2026 and witness an unprecedented visual spectacle together!