Shell of

FILE 2024 | Installations
International Electronic Language Festival
Marc Vilanova – Cascade – Spain

Waterfalls are a continuous source of infrasonic frequency found in nature. Although inaudible to humans, they play a crucial role in ecosystems, especially for migratory birds who use them as a compass. However, many waterfalls have lost their frequencies due to climate change. The work creates an immersive experience in which the audience interacts with the visualization of sound waves, experiencing the vibration of sound through illuminated strings.

Bio

Marc Vilanova is a sound and visual artist who works at the intersection of art, science and nature. Vilanova’s artistic production has always been led by a spirit of innovation fueled by an interest in new media. His practice combines sound/light installations, performance, and sculpture.

Credits

This work was partially carried out within the scope of the EMAP program at gnration, with the support of the Creative Europe Culture Programme, the Avatar Center in Quebec City and the Ramon Llull Institute.

Photo:
Eloise Coomber

Cascade Versailles
Une cascade haute et étroite se jette dans le bassin du Grand Canal, le long de l’axe visuel principal des Jardins de Versailles. La cascade est soutenue par une tour en treillis construite à partir de poutres en acier jaune ; des pompes transportent l’eau à travers d’épais tuyaux noirs jusqu’à une plate-forme au sommet de la tour, d’où elle s’écrase dans le canal bien en dessous. L’infrastructure visible de la cascade attire l’attention sur la nature construite à la fois de l’œuvre elle-même et des jardins environnants, tandis que le tumulte de l’eau met en évidence la présence de forces naturelles plus importantes qui jouent sur cet environnement artificiel : la force et la direction du vent, les conditions de la lumière à un moment donné.

Waterfall
The sculptural artwork is composed of four metal ribbons lined with LED screens that cascade down the wall. The sinuous shape of Waterfall is reinforced by the constant flow of abstract images that slide down the screen surface. The video is generated in real-time by global trading data. Waterfall attempts to capture the ceaseless ebb and flow of financial data that touches us in more ways that we can imagine.

ShenZhen Science Technology Museum
A cascade of terraces will frame a large atrium at the heart of the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum that Zaha Hadid Architects is developing in China. Slated for completion in late 2023, the pebble-shaped museum will encompass 125,000-square-metres and contain a mix of public spaces, galleries and educational facilities. It has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects as a landmark for Shenzhen’s new Guangming Science City – a masterplan intended to establish the city as a hub for innovation.

Defence Cascade
In the installation inflated silicone forms are suspended amidst an austere metal structure, and are prodded by automated rods. Set to contrastingly beautiful music by composer Alex Mills, which is punctuated by the industrial sounds of the mechanised device, the art work looks like a science experiment, or some kind of torture device, and you may find yourself anthropomorphising the poor, inflated bags which are at the mercy of their mechanical environment.

比尔•维奥拉
빌 비올라
ביל ויולה
ビル·ヴィオラ
БИЛЛ ВИОЛА
martyrs (earth, air, fire, water)
“As the work opens, four individuals are shown in stasis, a pause from their suffering. Gradually there is movement in each scene as an element of nature begins to disturb their stillness. Flames rain down, winds begin to lash, water cascades, and earth flies up. As the elements rage, each martyr’s resolve remains unchanged. In their most violent assault, the elements represent the darkest hour of the martyr’s passage through death into the light.”

Impulse
The Cascade Project explores matter by capturing the pattern of muons: i.e. electrically charged subatomic particles. It does so through an installation comprised of three live elements: a muon detector; a complex assemblage of pumps; and an arrangement of tubes through which fluid flows. When muons are detected, a light and connected pumps are activated, triggering the movement of an uncanny, viscous fluid through the sculptural system.

Universe of Water Particles
Universe of Water Particles is a waterfall created in a computer-simulated environment. A virtual rock is first sculpted and computer-generated water consisting of hundreds of thousands of water particles is then poured onto it. The computer calculates the movement of these particles to produce an accurate waterfall simulation that flows in accordance to physical laws. Next, 0.1 percent of the particles are selected and lines are drawn in relation to them. The sinuousness of the lines depends on the overall interaction among the water particles and forms the magnificent cascade seen on screen.