Oriol Vilanova
Economical Poem, I. On 50%, 2026
Vinyl wall text
Variable
Edition of 5 plus 1 artist's proof
Copyright the artist & Levey Kwok
For Oriol Vilanova, the flea market is not a subject but a studio. For over a decade, he has combed markets for postcards, assembling an archive of many thousands of...
For Oriol Vilanova, the flea market is not a subject but a studio. For over a decade, he has combed markets for postcards, assembling an archive of many thousands of images that he sorts, classifies and recomposes into slide projections, installations, books and other configurations. Writing runs alongside this practice. Vilanova approaches language with the same patience he brings to an image, turning a phrase over until its ambiguities begin to surface.
"Economical Poem, I" applies this method to a single sentence. Built around the repeating phrase “I prefer the market,” the work seems straightforward until the word market opens onto competing interpretations. Vilanova has the flea market in mind: a place of informal negotiation, unexpected encounters and constantly shifting value, the same terrain he has explored for years as a collector.
The phrase offers no explanation of what is being preferred, or why. Its meaning depends on the person reading it, and on the associations they bring to the word market. What begins as a statement of preference becomes a reflection on how value is formed, who gets to determine it, and how differently the same words can be understood. Like the objects that pass through a flea market, the phrase remains in circulation, open to new readings and new meanings.
Format and rights of use:
The work is acquired as a digital file for production as vinyl lettering. The collector determines the dimensions and may arrange for the text to be produced and installed for personal, non-commercial display. The file may be shared with a printer solely for the purpose of producing the work on the collector’s behalf, but may not otherwise be shared, distributed or made publicly available.
The collector may reproduce the work as needed to replace damaged vinyl, relocate the work or change its installation. The collector may photograph the work and share such documentation. The licence may be transferred to a subsequent owner together with the work. Commercial reproduction and use are not permitted. Copyright and all rights not expressly granted remain with the artist.
"Economical Poem, I" applies this method to a single sentence. Built around the repeating phrase “I prefer the market,” the work seems straightforward until the word market opens onto competing interpretations. Vilanova has the flea market in mind: a place of informal negotiation, unexpected encounters and constantly shifting value, the same terrain he has explored for years as a collector.
The phrase offers no explanation of what is being preferred, or why. Its meaning depends on the person reading it, and on the associations they bring to the word market. What begins as a statement of preference becomes a reflection on how value is formed, who gets to determine it, and how differently the same words can be understood. Like the objects that pass through a flea market, the phrase remains in circulation, open to new readings and new meanings.
Format and rights of use:
The work is acquired as a digital file for production as vinyl lettering. The collector determines the dimensions and may arrange for the text to be produced and installed for personal, non-commercial display. The file may be shared with a printer solely for the purpose of producing the work on the collector’s behalf, but may not otherwise be shared, distributed or made publicly available.
The collector may reproduce the work as needed to replace damaged vinyl, relocate the work or change its installation. The collector may photograph the work and share such documentation. The licence may be transferred to a subsequent owner together with the work. Commercial reproduction and use are not permitted. Copyright and all rights not expressly granted remain with the artist.