Grounded Frictions is a solo exhibition by Marc Vilanova, the result of his artistic residency at the centre, in which he explores acoustic signals present in the depths of the earth, with special attention to infrasound: vibrations between 0.1 and 20 Hz that fall below the threshold of human hearing, but which the body can still perceive. Using geophones, scientific instruments that detect these low frequencies in the earth, Vilanova has captured the sounds of underground environments near active gas wells in western Pennsylvania and has integrated them into his works.
The exhibition will open on 28 March at The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, with the support of the Institut Ramon Llull.
Marc Vilanova’s work explores listening as an embodied act, a way of perceiving phenomena that unfold at the limits of human perception. Instead of composing sound, his large-scale installations materialise sonic forces that are imperceptible in other sensory realms, offering new ways to attune our connection with the world.
At the heart of Grounded Frictions is a set of loudspeakers that attempt to reproduce these recordings. Although the sound waves from the loudspeakers do not generate audible tones, the vibrations produce movement through attached luminous fibre optic waves, creating a trembling choreography of light and motion. The installation invites visitors to slow down, sit or lie in the space, and tune in to the vibrational forces that pass through us, even when we cannot hear them. In a subtle reference to the region's industrial past, two additional works explore the material transformation of infrasound on glass and steel.
By repurposing scientific instruments, Vilanova also reflects on the potential that emerges from the tension between artistic and scientific ways of knowing the world.
Marc Vilanova (Capellades, 1991) is a sound and visual artist who explores the convergence of art, science, nature, and technology. With a practice rooted in expanded sculpture, his work seeks to foster active listening towards voices often ignored or silenced by the anthropocentric paradigm. His creative approach is characterised by an openness to the world, generating spaces for listening and reflection that challenge the limits of sensory knowledge and allow access to perceptual realms beyond immediate human sensitivity. Vilanova invites us to experience an imperceptible universe with which we coexist but know very little about. He currently lives and works in Barcelona.
Vilanova has participated in numerous exhibitions and presentations at cultural institutions, museums, festivals, and international biennials. Recent highlights include BIENALSUR (Buenos Aires, Argentina), the Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), the Science Gallery (Melbourne, Australia), L’Auditori de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain), FILE (São Paulo, Brazil), Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria), and Tokyo Wonder Site (Tokyo, Japan).
He has received various grants, awards, and residencies, such as the Headlands Center for the Arts Fellowship, San Francisco (2022), the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art Fellowship, Omaha (2019), the KARA Prize, Tehran (2018), and the Tokyo Experimental Festival Promotion Prize (2016).
The Mattress Factory is an artist-centred museum with an international residency programme and is renowned for producing and presenting site-specific installation art. Located in the Northside of Pittsburgh, the Mattress Factory hosts artists from around the world and the local community as they develop new works.
