Albert Barqué-Duran, a researcher at La Salle-URL, has been awarded the Runway Grand Prize – New Media at the AI Festival 2026 (AIF 2026), one of the world's leading international events dedicated to AI-driven creativity.
The award recognizes SYNAPTICON, a project that explores the connections between art, science, and technology through the use of advanced artificial intelligence and neurotechnology tools. The New Media category, one of the major additions to the 2026 edition, honors projects that explore new digital narratives, immersive experiences, experimental formats, and hybrid proposals in which artificial intelligence plays an essential role in the creative process.
An Award-Winning Research Project with International Recognition
The researcher, who also serves as Coordinator of the Master of Science in Digital Arts and Creative Technologies, attended both award ceremonies held in the United States. The first ceremony took place on June 11 at Lincoln Center in New York, followed by a second gala on June 18 at The Broad Stage Theater in Los Angeles. "Once again, thanks to my team, to everyone who has supported me throughout all these years, and to all those working at the intersection of art, science, and technology, who continue to defend the idea that culture is not merely an ornament of progress," said Albert Barqué-Duran.
The recognition received at AI Festival 2026 adds to the recent El Ojo Crítico 2025 Award from Radio Nacional de España (RNE), which Barqué-Duran received last May in the newly established category of digital innovation in the cultural sector. With these distinctions, the La Salle-URL researcher further consolidates a career positioned at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and artistic creation, helping to foster new forms of research and cultural production in the context of emerging technologies.
Runway, a Global Leader in Generative AI
Founded in New York in 2018, Runway is one of the most influential companies in the development of generative artificial intelligence tools for audiovisual creation. Its technologies are used by professionals in fields such as film, advertising, design, music, and digital media.
Through AI Festival, the company promotes an international community of creators exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to develop new narratives, experiences, and forms of creative expression. The 2026 edition also marks a turning point in the evolution of the festival, expanding its scope beyond audiovisual production to include disciplines such as design, fashion, advertising, video games, and new media fields in which artificial intelligence is transforming creative and cultural production processes.
