Artist Alvaro Barrington is widely seen as a cultural force who is reshaping how we think about creativity, community, and belonging. In his DLD Future Hub conversation with curator Hans Ulrich Obrist (Serpentine Galleries), he highlights his belief that art’s greatest power lies in its connection to the human condition. “Art lets you know what you feel is real”, he says.
Barrington’s work often exists outside traditional spaces, as seen in his Notting Hill Carnival project, because he is convinced that art must move beyond the confines of galleries to truly connect with people. Born in Venezuela, Barrington sees carnival as an interactive canvas for his work. “You have millions of people walking by”, he says, “and if it’s interesting they’ll stop and they’ll look and maybe they’ll dance.”
Barrington and Obrist also explore the intersection of art and technology. The artist envisions AI companions that could alleviate loneliness but insists that true empathy comes from understanding others’ perspectives. Our current relationship with AI to is similar to humans discovering fire, “and now everybody’s just sort of seeing how big the fire could get.”
Watch the video to further explore Alvaro Barrington’s thoughts on art, society, and technology.
