Tomás Saraceno's Spider Installation in Matera Church
On November 25, 2023, the Church of Madonna del Carmine in Matera unveiled Tomás Saraceno's permanent exhibit titled 'Life(s) of Webs, arachnophobias, arachnophilias, and other stories.' The installation includes a spider situated in the confessional and a glowing web that produces inaudible low-frequency vibrations at 6 hertz. Visitors are invited to sit barefoot in a 'Rivibrato,' where sound waves intertwine spider webs, galaxies, and the web itself. Saraceno draws attention to Matera's diverse human habitats and the role of spiders as indicators of climate change. This project is a joint effort with Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019 and Museo Nazionale di Matera, with a follow-up phase set for spring 2024. He also underscores the vital role of indigenous communities in preserving biodiversity and the connection between magic and science.
Key facts
- Tomás Saraceno created permanent installation 'Life(s) of Webs, arachnophobias, arachnophilias, and other stories' in Matera.
- Installation located in 17th-century Church of Madonna del Carmine attached to Palazzo Lanfranchi.
- Inaugurated on November 25, 2023.
- Spider occupies confessional in place of officiant.
- Web emits low-frequency vibrations at 6 hertz.
- Viewers sit barefoot in 'Rivibrato' to experience amplified sound waves.
- Collaboration between Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, Museo Nazionale di Matera, and Saraceno.
- Second phase in spring 2024: publication of a book with philosophers, artists, writers, arachnologists.
- Saraceno has 30-year contact with Pier Bollo, chief of Somie tribe in Cameroon.
- Spiders used for divination in Somie culture.
Entities
Artists
- Tomás Saraceno
- Anna D'Elia
- Kim Robinson
- Pier Bollo
Institutions
- Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019
- Museo Nazionale di Matera
- Palazzo Lanfranchi
- Church of Madonna del Carmine
- Artribune
Locations
- Matera
- Italy
- San Miguel de Tucumán
- Argentina
- India
- Cameroon