Lascaux 2.0 marks the start of the new season at the renovated “Espaço Fundação MEOat MEO’s headquarters in Picoas, Lisbon, which is unveiling a new visual identity to the public. The exhibition, which visitors will have first-hand access to over the next two months, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., invites reflection on artistic creation as an autonomous process resulting from the interaction between algorithms, robotics, and non-human decision-making systems. It is the first major exhibition of the year at this venue, affirming the Fundação MEO ambition Fundação MEO promote innovative and disruptive cultural experiences.
“In a world where the proliferation of tools such as Artificial Intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between art and technology, the Fundação MEO Space Fundação MEO as a unique place to think, create, and share the future. “For the Fundação MEO, which believes in culture as a driving force for critical thinking, innovation, and a more humane, inclusive, and conscious society, it is an honor to host Leonel Moura’s work,” emphasizes Madalena Albuquerque, Director of Fundação MEO.
“Lascaux 2.0 proposes a new beginning.It is not a continuation of the cave, but the dawn of a new era in art, created by machines and digital processes. It is the art of the 21st century—digital, algorithmic, robotic, and based on artificial intelligence—autonomous. It is the territory I have been exploring for decades, where the image ceases to be representation and becomes process, and where authorship shifts from gesture to program. In the renovated space of Fundação MEO , I Fundação MEO a synthesis of my journey, as a manifestation of this change. What emerges here is a new condition of art, which exists as a system, behavior, and continuous production,” states Leonel Moura.
An immersive exhibition blending art and technology
Lascaux 2.0—a name that evokes the caves in southeastern France, home to one of the world’s most iconic sites of prehistoric art, featuring cave paintings dating back over 17,000 years—presents the public with a collection of works created by robots, algorithm-generated 3D sculptures, and videos designed using artificial intelligence. The conceptual core of the exhibition, the eponymous installation, Lascaux 2.0, creates an immersive space where the walls are entirely covered with drawings made by autonomous robots.
On opening day, as well as on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., visitors will be invited to participate and reflect through Art-o-Matic, a robot that, guided by an operator, creates a drawing that will be given to visitors at the end of the process. And at another point in the exhibition, a painting robot operates in real time, producing drawings or paintings autonomously. Known for its work promoting cultural inclusion, the Fundação MEO also Fundação MEO , with this exhibition, its commitment to accessibility.
In addition to the online access features, Lascaux 2.0 will offer Portuguese Sign Language interpretation on the Fundação MEO website.
The Fundação MEO Space
The programming at Espaço Fundação MEO a broader strategy to promote contemporary art and highlight MEO’s artistic and cultural heritage. Located at Fórum Picoas in Lisbon, this space serves as a hub for cultural programming, reflection, and sharing, dedicated to the intersection of art, technology, and innovation.
"With the renovated Fundação MEO Space, we aim to establish a landmark where art, technology, and innovation converge to spark reflection, inspire new perspectives, and bring culture closer to people. This new season embodies the Fundação MEO vision: to promote a more creative, more inclusive, and more humane society," says Carolina Pita Negrão, director of Fundação MEO.
The exhibition will be on view through June 15, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and admission is free. Throughout the year, the venue will host a multidisciplinary program, including works from the Fundação MEO Contemporary Art Collection.
Leonel Moura
Leonel Moura (born December 26, 1948, in Lisbon) is a renowned Portuguese artist and a pioneer in the application of robotics and artificial intelligence to artistic creation. Byblending art and technology, Leonel Moura promotes a new artistic concept centered on the creativity of machines. In this unique endeavor, the artist has created several painting robots and is also known for founding the Robotarium, a robot zoo that was the first of its kind in the world. Internationally recognized, he created RAP (Robotic Action Painter) in 2006, which is on permanent display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and has exhibited in iconic venues such as the Grand Palais in Paris and the UCCA Museum in Beijing. Leonel Moura was one of the artists invited to inaugurate the Diriyah Art Futures Museum in 2024, a pioneering center for digital art in Saudi Arabia, and serves as the European Ambassador for Creativity and Innovation, appointed by the European Commission. A member of the Portuguese Robotics Society, the artist was a prominent figure at the 2017 Web Summit.
For more information, visit fundacao.meo.pt