“L’objet, qui parle ?” is an exhibition by Mexican artist Vica Pacheco. She thinks of her ceramics as collaborators, and performs with them to create sound.

Making sound to exist. To experiment. To engage in a conversation with beings beyond the human. To confirm that the body perceives the vibrations that objects produce, that it listens beyond itself and beyond those who express themselves in a similar way. These sound waves are bridges, opening up possibilies to experience the world from perspectives that transcend the verbal and tangible.

The sound stories told by these ceramic devices explore the connection between elements of nature: bones, snakes, and the human body, all united in a deep disposition to listen. Each device invites the discovery of an alternative language, one in which shapes, materials, and vibrations merge to evoke memories shared with the earth, fire, metals, and the sound dwelling within them.

Zabriskie, a green ironwork display case, emits its own sound in the city, adding to the resonances of the urban environment. This structure, designed to offer shelter and visible from all angles, once served as a refuge for those awaiting public transportation. Now, it invites us to see the potential for speech in organic forms, sharing the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation with those who dare to listen. Vica Pacheco’s work suggests that even in the chaos of the city, there is a pulse that connects us to the essential, allowing us to discover and reinterpret the language of the inanimate.

The exhibition text was written by Dea López and edited by Jeanne Tullen.

Pictures Zoe Aubry / Jeanne Tullen