Cascade (2022)

Marc Vilanova in collaboration with Rodrigo Waihiwe

© Marc Vilanova, Cascade (Work in progress)

Waterfalls are the only continuous natural source of infrasound that exist on our planet. Large falls create powerful infrasonic frequencies that can travel up to 400km from the source. Recent studies demonstrate how those frequencies are used for avian navigation.

Some birds have an exceptional sensibility to detect infrasound, which becomes their sensory base for long-distance migrations. Over the past years, navigation failures were detected due to anthropogenic noise coming from industrial and urban sources of infrasonic frequencies.

In Cascade, infrasound recordings from large waterfalls activate 150 speakers, each speaker transmits the imperceptible frequency into a luminescent fiber optic of about 8m. The sound waves resonate through the fiber strings producing a visual feedback of light.

The installation uses the architecture of the space creating a curtain of sound waves adaptable to the needs of the room. The audience is invited to walk through the curtain, touch and feel the vibration of the material, and embody the work.

Genre
soundArtInstallation
soundArtPiece
lightLaserArt
Methods
dataVisualisation
Themes
Art And Science
light
biology
Body And Human
feeling
senses
Nature And Environment
environment
nature
landscape
energy
water