Marc Vilanova:Cascade, Avatar, Quebec City
Photo: Alexandre Berthier
29. marec – 28. april 2024, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM)
Opening on Friday 29 March 2024, 8 p.m.
The event will be followed by a DJ performance by whitegirlstudyplaylist at 9pm.
Join us for the pre-event of SONICA 2024: Glocalisation. SONICA in co-production with the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova +MSUM presents an exhibition by Spanish-Catalan sound and visual artist Marco Vilanova entitled Cascade.
CASCADE (A/V installation)
Waterfalls are the only continuous source of infrasonic frequencies found in nature. Large falls create extremely low sounds that can travel up to 400 km. Although unheard by our ears, these frequencies play a crucial role in the delicate balance of ecosystems, offering a vital component for certain creatures.
Some migratory birds, gifted with the capacity to sense these frequencies, employ them as a navigational compass during their extensive journeys. Their ability to hear these deep frequencies far from the waterfalls and remember their location becomes a sensory base for long-distance migrations. This sonic relationship has existed for hundreds of years, but nowadays, many waterfalls have ceased their sound due to the extreme droughts caused by the climate crisis.
In addition, artificial sources of infrasonic frequencies from wind turbines, aviation, or military, for example, are polluting the environment and causing navigation failures.
Cascade aims to draw attention to these invisible realities by rendering the waterfall’s infrasonic frequencies into an immersive experience to the audience. A generative collage of infrasonic recordings from large falls is played through 128 small speakers, which are incapable of reproducing infrasound due to their dimensions. However, in their attempt to emit them, they generate a vibration translated into a luminescent fiber optic.
The result is a visualization of the soundwaves falling through the lighted strings. The audience is invited to walk through the curtain actively engaging with the artwork as they traverse the space. They can perceive this invisible energy also with their body by touching the strings and feeling the vibration on their skin. The piece aims to reveal the interconnectedness of all living entities and become aware of the importance of preserving also the nature that is invisible to us.
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Marc Vilanova
Marc Vilanova (1991) is a sound and visual artist working at the intersection of art, science and technology. Vilanova’s artistic production has always been led by a spirit of innovation fueled by an interest in new media. Merging research and artistic practices onto projects in which concepts such audio visuality, automation, machine self-expression, AI and superintelligence and the socio- political implications regarding society’s relationship with technology are explored.
Currently, he creates audiovisual installations while also working with performance and interdisciplinary collaborations with dance, theater, and moving images. His pieces have been presented in festivals around the world in Japan, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Iran, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia and many countries in Europe.
He has received numerous grants, awards and residencies including the prestigious Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco 2020, Bemis Center for Contemporary
Art Fellowship, Omaha 2019, KARA Award, Teheran 2018, Citizen Artist Incubator, Linz 2017, the Encouragement Prize Tokyo Experimental Festival 2016, Jury Prize at Saxopen, Congress Strasbourg 2015 or the First Prize At the International Contest of Sound Art Performance, Zaragoza 2014 among others.
As an educator, Vilanova led workshops on transdisciplinary creation, live electronics, free improvisation and extended techniques. He has been invited as a guest professor at the Tokyo National University GEIDAI, Universidad de los Andes, Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Moshen Gallery Teheran, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro “UNIRIO”, Sibelius Academy Helsinki, Hochschule für Musik Basel and many more.
Co-produced by MoTA – Museum of Transitory Art and SONICA Festival Institute.
The European Media Art Platform (EMAP), co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Supported by the Ministry of culture RS, the Municipality of Ljubljana – Department of Culture and the Institut Ramon Llull.
The work was partially realized within the framework of the EMAP program at gnration, with support from the Creative Europe Culture Programme and the Avatar Center in Quebec City.
Festival SONICA 2024: Glocalisation
18.─20. 4. 2024
