The sound installation “iCÙ” allows anyone who wishes to listen to an ancient and mysterious sound. By turning the crank, the sound is produced by the artwork created by Matteo Simondi in collaboration with Associazione Prometheus and Officina Fabre.
The Piedmontese architect conceived the concept and designed the structure, which was then realised through collaboration with two initiatives dedicated to the preservation and transmission of ancient artisanal knowledge: Prometheus, based in Dronero, Cuneo, disseminates the art of manual scything, while Fabre, located in Berzo Inferiore, Brescia, focuses on metal forging, starting from an unusual object: the hoe mould.
This year’s SMACH Biennale theme also stems from the inspiration provided by an agricultural tool: the whetstone. What visitors hear by activating the installation — a kind of “noise-intoning machine” that nods to Luigi Russolo — is, in fact, the sound made by the stone when sharpening the blade of a scythe.
