Substrat

Substrat is a site-specific installation that reveals the hidden soundscape beneath Barcelona, transforming the underground vibrations of soil, water, infrastructure, and geological movement into a participatory art installation.

By making what happens underground visible, we propose a new relationship between citizens, urban infrastructure, and the geological forces that shape the city.

The project begins by capturing underground sounds from the Poblenou neighborhood in Barcelona, using geophones and low-frequency recording technologies commonly used in seismic studies. The sounds are processed, converted into data, and, through a physical interface, into vibrations that generate unpredictable patterns on a stretched canvas.

Positioned beneath a custom-designed table, the interface turns the canvas into a surface for artistic intervention. The audience participates by pouring colored pigment particles, making the vibrations of the subsoil visible.

Substrat recontextualizes seismic data as artistic material and invites people to experience the city through a sensory layer that is normally inaccessible.