Digital arts center IDEAL to move to Montjuïc during renovation works 

IDEAL digital arts center will temporarily move from the Poblenou neighborhood in Barcelona across the city to the Palau Maria Eugènia, in Montjuïc. 

Jordi Sellas, IDEAL's director, explained that the six-month break will help "prepare IDEAL for the 21st century."

The building first opened as a cinema in 1917. In the 1980s, it became the Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media's first studio and was transformed in 2019 into IDEAL.

Sellas noted that the building faces many structural and technical challenges due to its age. 

During the renovation period, the center will continue its activities in the temporary space.

Starting on March 19, IDEAL will open the immersive exhibition 'The Last Days of Pompeii' at the Palau Maria Eugènia.

The space includes immersive rooms, 360° virtual reality, metaverse experiences, and traditional exhibition areas.

The exhibition will cover more than 2,000 square meters. It explores the final days of the ancient Roman city, mixing fiction and historical reality. 

The exhibition has already been shown in cities such as Madrid, Brussels, London, and Beijing.

According to Sellas, it is one of the largest and most impressive productions the center has ever created, and it has never been shown in Catalonia.

Inspired by the novel 'The Last Days of Pompeii' by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, published in 1834, the exhibition contrasts this fictional account with archaeological evidence and scientific research. 

Sellas explained that the tension between fiction and reality is what makes the experience engaging. 

In 2024, the exhibition won National Geographic's award for Best Historical Exhibition.

To mark the opening on March 19, IDEAL is also preparing a special event, highlighting Montjuïc's surroundings, including the MNAC stairs, the Four Columns by Puig i Cadafalch, and the Montjuïc fountains.