The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe present the The Thinking Machine: Ramon Llull and the ars combinatoria. Curated by Amador Vega of Pompeu Fabra University, the exhibition takes place from July 13th to December 11th 2016.
The Thinking Machine marks the 7th centenary of the death of the philosopher, logician, Franciscan tertiary and Majorcan writer Ramon Llull (1232-1316) and explores the impact of his thinking on the arts, literature, science and technology. The exhibition sets out to explain surprising and little-known aspects of Lullian thinking, and presents his legacy as a precedent to new communication technologies.
The knowledge method invented by Llull, known as ars combinatoria, represents a complex mechanism of geometric symbols and figures that combines letters and concepts, emerging as a new form of knowledge that aspired to be universal. The use of this mechanism, which brought together the diverse knowledge of its time, was intended to bring about peace between religions by means of reason, proof and dialogue. Llull sought a complex model of reality in which the world, humankind and God were drawn together, using a great web.
For the purpose of spreading this new knowledge, Llull wrote over 250 books, in Catalan, Latin and Arabic, and traveled the East and West, visiting kings and popes. Legend has it that he died for his ideas. Bruno, Leibniz, Borges and Eco are among the influential Lullians throughout history.
When: From 14/07 to 11/12 – 2016
Where: CCCB, Montalegre, 5, 08001 Barcelona
Press conference: Wednesday, 13 July, at 11:00
Opening: Wednesday, 13 July, at 19:00
Website: www.cccb.org/en/exhibitions/file/the-thinking-machine/223672