Load Gallery Presents Mareo Rodríguez’s Portals series, the digital version

“My creative journey seeks to capture the sublime essence of the landscape and transform it into a spiritual experience,” says Mareo Rodríguez of his Portals series. Trained as both an artist and architect, Mareo seeks to distil the very essence of the landscape. His geometrical precision manifests itself in his apt manipulation of space, the choice of materials, and the subtlety of how they are used. The minimalism, paired with the monochrome palette, invites a meditative experience where distractions are stripped away, allowing the light to take centre stage. This careful manipulation of light and shadow encourages a spiritual awakening—a revelation that emerges as one peers into the void inside cracks and fissures Mareo so masterfully presents.

Through a multidisciplinary approach that blends digital media, painting, sculpture, and installation, Mareo reinterprets the natural world, using cracks, fissures, and wavy lines as metaphors for the human experience of rupture, healing, and evolution. These elements, found throughout nature in everything from mountain ranges to rivers, lightning, and stone, become portals through which Mareo invites viewers to reflect on their internal landscapes, wounds, and paths toward transformation. As Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” 

“My work is a homage to nature, a fusion of landscape abstraction and spiritual exploration that encapsulates the dichotomy between ‘Matter’ in the physical realm and ‘Light’ in the quest for the ethereal and sacred,” says Mareo. “Through my art, I delve into the intricacies of topography and natural forces, viewing them as living energies in constant motion, shaped and reshaped by the passage of time.”

From the monumental presence of mountains to the subtle erosion of rocks, Mareo is captivated by the landscape’s transformative power. “I perceive matter as the condensed form of light,” he explains, “a medium through which we can witness the perpetual process of evolution and expansion across epochs.” This perspective informs Mareo’s approach to work, where the convergence of matter and light becomes a metaphor for the tension between the earthly and the divine, the seen and the unseen.

Mareo draws inspiration from a lineage of artists who have similarly explored themes of rupture, absence, and transformation. He acknowledges the influence of Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts, particularly the idea of the “cut” as a gesture that opens up infinite possibilities. Anish Kapoor’s use of voids and reflective surfaces, alongside Pierre Soulages’ exploration of light within blackness, also resonate deeply within Mareo’s practice. 

Portals in a fully digital format

For the first time, Mareo will present Portals in a fully digital format, accompanied by a striking LED sculpture. This addition brings a tangible dimension to the exhibition, offering a material presence that anchors the ethereal themes explored in the digital works. To enhance the sensory experience and reference his initial inspirations, the gallery floor will be covered in a dense, rolling fog produced by a smoke machine, with a scent of nature in the air. 

“We wanted to create an ethereal atmosphere, where smoke fills the space and a subtle natural scent envelops visitors, creating a sensory journey that propels the deep exploration of the cracks in both our inner and outer worlds.” says Alex Simorré, Load’s founder. “Portals is a series that explores these cracks, transforming fractures into pathways of healing, resilience, and illumination. Through this work, where art, technology, nature, and spirituality converge, light becomes a symbol of renewal. This sensory fusion guides viewers through landscapes where matter and light, the physical and the spiritual, intertwine. Let yourself be carried into this enchanting universe, where every crack holds the potential for rebirth.”

In this digital exhibition, Mareo’s artistic process is laid bare, inviting viewers to witness the evolution of his exploration. 

Exhibition Details

Portals will run from October 31st to December 7th at the Load gallery, carrer Llull 134, Barcelona, Spain.

The Load gallery

Located in Barcelona’s creative Poblenou district, the Load Gallery is the latest arrival to the city art scene. Thanks to bespoke next-generation screens and an elaborate sound system, it brings digital art to life, showing the most ambitious artworks by internationally acclaimed artists. The Load Gallery aims to redefine how media art and NFTs can be exhibited, distributed and managed and how they can be shown alongside physical art to create a coherent narrative.

The gallery has a total of 9 screens, 5 are located at the front, and there is a smaller room that features 4 equal round screens. This room is thought of as a sandbox for the artists to push the envelope and try things they haven’t done before to create an immersive experience for the viewer by adding physical objects. 

“I got the inspiration for these circular screens from the works of Gaudí, renowned for his organic shapes and fluid curves that captivate the eye. This space—unofficially dubbed as “round room”—is intended to enrich the gallery, bring an additional dimension where architecture and art intersect, and open a door to another universe. It is a space where artists can blend the physical with the digital, creating an immersive environment. Each new exhibition will showcase a unique space, a door opening to yet unexplored worlds.”

–Alex Simorre, the Load gallery founder

Load’s debut in Barcelona marks an important development in the city’s efforts to establish itself as a leader in digital culture. Barcelona is already home to the Loop art fair and festival, OFFF, Sonar D+, and other initiatives centred on media art and digital culture. Load complements these events with a dedicated space for showcasing digital artworks with the sophistication they merit.

Load offers collectors a full-chain solution: its sister company Artbox designs, manufactures and install screens, boxes for streaming and other hardware, while Load proprietary software makes managing and distributing digital art easy and intuitive.