Aresta is a concert for eight saxophones and one musician working on the concept of automatisation.
In Aresta, a saxophone octet no longer requires saxophonists. Each instrument hangs from a pyramid-shaped metal structure and acts as a resonating body for the loudspeaker it holds inside it. More than a hundred LEDs fixed in the holes of each instrument create a choreography of light moving in perfect synchronicity with the music.
Taking the form of a performative installation, the saxophones generate the illusion of organicness, of different timbres and of choreographed movement despite being completely inert and immobile. Aresta presents a constant dialogue between machine and musician, questioning whether machines can trigger emotions the same way a human can.
Saxophonist and sound artist working at the intersection of art and technology. His artistic production has always been led by a spirit of innovation fueled by an interest in new media. His work is an exploration of the interaction between human beings and machines, often with a focus on the relationship between sound and visual elements.
Vilanova is currently creating audiovisual performances/installations while also working with electroacoustic compositions, improvisation, and interdisciplinary collaborations with dance, theatre and moving images. His performances have been presented in festivals around the world in Japan, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Iran, Taiwan, Russia and many countries in Europe. He has won several international prizes and led workshops and master classes in many prestigious universities of America, Asia and Europe.
