INVISIBLE CONSTELLATIONS © 2025
Invisible Constellations © 2025
Aluminium, fibre optic, RGB laser
400 x 400 x 75 cm.
Cerro San Vicente Museum, Salamanca
Invisible Constellations is an artistic installation that combines cartography, history, and the intangible to unveil the hidden layers of Salamanca. Through a multisensory experience, the project explores the narratives and connections that have shaped the city’s identity over time. From its cobblestone alleys to forgotten spaces, the proposal uses sculptural, luminous, and tactile elements to map not only physical geographies but also untold stories and emotions embedded in collective memory.
Formally, the installation is structured as a series of metallic pathways that intertwine spatial and temporal layers. At the top is the layer of the Castros, Salamanca’s first stable human settlement, dating back to the Early Iron Age (8th–4th centuries BC) and located on San Vicente Hill. This layer forms the technological heart of the installation, from which five luminous cores (RGB lasers) emanate, controlling and connecting the represented historical layers.
Below lies contemporary Salamanca, depicted as a flat, tensioned metallic framework following the current urban layout of the city’s main streets and avenues. Further down is 15th-century Salamanca, organized through five primary routes: municipal, palatial, ecclesiastical, conventual, and educational. These routes intersect dynamically, forming a rhizomatic structure that evokes a fluid topography. At the lowest level lies 12th- and 13th-century Salamanca, characterized by the Cerca Vieja, the ancient city wall that defined the central core and laid the foundation for the modern city.
The installation is completed by a three-dimensional network of optical fibers that connect the various levels and deposit points of light in key heritage sites. Luminous animations guide visitors along the pathways, using a color-coded system that acts as a timeline. This interplay of lights reveals invisible constellations, tracing the passage of time and its imprint on the city’s configuration.
Invisible Constellations invites the public to immerse themselves in a unique artistic experience that celebrates Salamanca’s cultural richness and historical complexity. Through carefully crafted luminous programming, the installation transforms the city into a living heritage constellation, illuminating the intangible connections that shape its identity.
Work process and prototyping of the project.
CREDITS ::
Conceptualisation: Esther Pizarro
Production: Esther Pizarro Studio
Technology and programming: Markus Schroll
Funding: Project carried out thanks to the support of Alicante City Council and the Ministry of Culture and Sport.
EXHIBITED IN::
Cerro de San Vicente Museum, Salamanca (Permanent Installation)
