The Italian leg of the project, entitled Spiritual Machines, brings this reflection to the historic spaces of the Catholic University through the works of Orla Barry, Rui Chafes, Rodrigo Cass and Gian Maria Tosatti. Sculptures, videos, soundscapes and environmental installations engage in dialogue with the Bramante cloisters and the 20th-century architecture of the university, transforming spaces of university life into places of experience, listening and contemplation.

The title stems from a question that runs through the entire exhibition: what space remains today for inner life, relationships and the spiritual dimension, in a world increasingly mediated by technology?

The works invite us to slow down, observe and listen. Iron may seem to lose its weight, geometry may become a tangible experience, sound may open up an inner space, and light and shadow may transform our perception of a familiar place.

Rather than an exhibition to be viewed from a distance, Spiritual Machines is an invitation to experience art and the University’s spaces in a new way: an exercise in mindfulness and empathy.