A science exhibition on the third floor of Espacio Fundación Telefónica sets out to answer an old physics question: what is reality when nobody's observing it? Quantum Revolution (Revolución Cuántica) builds a five-part, 120-plus-object journey around that question, moving from Newton's clockwork universe to the quantum computers now being built to outpace it.
What it is
Curated by Fundación Telefónica with Sonia Fernández-Vidal, a physicist specialising in Quantum Information and Optics, and produced with support from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, FECYT and the CCCB, the show combines historical scientific artefacts, including a 17th-century volume by Galileo, with contemporary art, immersive installations and virtual reality.
The route runs in five stages: Newton and Maxwell's deterministic universe, Planck and Einstein's discovery that energy comes in discrete packets, quantum mechanics born through Heisenberg, Schrödinger and Dirac, the standoff between Einstein and Bohr over whether reality exists independent of observation, and the technologies (lasers, semiconductors, MRI and now quantum computing) this theory keeps producing.
A hands-on photoelectric-effect display and a new VR piece called Quantum Lens sit alongside recorded interviews with physicists such as Jordi Mompart and José Ignacio Latorre, giving the more abstract stretches a way in for visitors without a physics background.
Why it's worth attending
Free entry to a show spanning 120-plus objects and four centuries of science is unusual, and mixing historical instruments with contemporary art and VR gives it more texture than a standard science-museum walkthrough. The five-part structure builds real conceptual momentum instead of treating quantum theory as a set of disconnected facts. The middle sections get properly abstract, and the accompanying text and recorded interviews carry much of the explanatory weight.
Practical info
Individual guided tours run Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:00, booked in advance via Eventbrite. The new Quantum Lens VR experience also requires advance booking and is for visitors aged 12 and up. Family workshops for ages 6–12 run Sundays 11:30–13:30. A free audio guide is available in Spanish and English.
FAQ
Do I need to book the guided tours in advance?
Yes, individual tours run Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 and require booking through Eventbrite.
What is the Quantum Lens VR experience?
A virtual reality piece included in the exhibition, for visitors aged 12 and up, bookable in advance through Eventbrite.
Is there a children's programme?
Yes, family workshops for ages 6–12 run Sundays from 11:30 to 13:30.
Who curated the exhibition?
Physicist Sonia Fernández-Vidal, working with Fundación Telefónica and support from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, FECYT and the CCCB.
Which floor is the exhibition on?
The third floor of Espacio Fundación Telefónica.
