Ònfalo is a sound research project exploring biotremology—the study of vibrational communication in nature. In collaboration with sound artists Enrico Malatesta and Attila Faravelli, we used laser vibrometers to record the normally inaudible vibrations of insects traveling through plants in urban and natural environments. The research extended beyond plants to capture vibrations from other surfaces including musical instruments.
Ònfalo reveals how a scientific detection device, conceived to objectify reality, can paradoxically challenge the very distinction between subject and object, humankind and nature, activity and passivity, showing how a landscape is not so much an object to contemplate, detached from us, as an endless flow of matter and energy we are immersed in and part of.
The public presentation of Ònfalo included a lecture introducing the fundamental concepts of biotremology, a live sound performance recontextualizing the recorded data, and guided field sessions where the audience participated in the listening of natural vibroscapes in real time.
Developed during an artistic residency in Milan (2024) and presented at Danae Festival (2024) and Kunstenfestivaldesarts (2025).
Photos by Luana Giardino, Alain Verschueren and Juan José López Díez
