Kelsey Cruz-Martin: A Shell Stood for Zero

g39 is pleased to present A Shell Stood for Zero, a new sonic and sculptural installation by artist Kelsey Cruz-Martin. Working across writing, print, sculpture, and sound, Cruz-Martin’s practice investigates experiential knowledge, the complexities of voice, and the shifting relationship between language and the body.

Developed during her year-long tenure as Cardiff Metropolitan University’s inaugural Freelands Fellow 2025/26, this exhibition introduces a new body of sculptural works shaped through material experimentation, including ceramic shell forms and lost-wax aluminium casting. These processes reveal uncanny echoes of the human body, drawing attention to the porous boundaries between organic life and digital existence.

A Shell Stood for Zero explores themes of armour, attention, and listening as an embodied, present-moment act. Through the interplay of form, language, and sound, the installation probes the limits of sonic representation, inviting visitors to consider what is seen and heard within the gallery—and what might resonate beyond it.

By creating a space of heightened sensory awareness, Cruz-Martin encourages audiences to reflect on the filters we construct and the signals we choose to absorb. The work becomes both a site of protection and exposure, amplifying the subtle tensions between vulnerability, perception, and presence.