Lunar Ensemble for Uprising Seas
By Charlotte Stace
MACBA welcomes a new installation from the artists Petrit Halilaj and Álvaro Urbano, entitled Lunar Ensemble for Uprising Seas. Inspired by Ay mi pescadito, a Spanish song about young fish studying forms of survival and belonging, this work addresses ideas of cohesion and disharmony among different species.
The artists have created an evolving ecosystem that is made up of over 40 large-scale sculptures which portray otherworldly, whimsical, hybrid aquatic, terrestrial and aerial creatures. The works encourage the viewer to think about future states of evolution, including survival both underwater and in the sky. Hanging above is a large egg-shaped object that symbolises the cyclical nature of our planet and encourages us to reimagine future lifeforms.
Set within MACBA’s atrium, each sculpture doubles as a musical instrument that produces music. When played together, the music attempts a “melody” inspired by Ay mi pescadito combined with underwater noises. The result? An eye-opening exhibition that depicts the complexity of life and synchrony among species.