Sanctuary (2015)
A collaboration with musician/composer Lily Apolloni and programmer Matt Kilens
altered, found 35mm film slides, sound, LCD projectors, church pews, interactive buttons
This interdisciplinary, collaborative project sought to explore the question “What is a sacred space?” Visitors created their own personal sanctuaries by pressing buttons throughout the gallery that changed the imagery and sound within the space. Artificial walls and curtains formed an isolated, intimate space while unmarked pews encouraged visitors to sit and to rest. The decoration and sound of the space, as constructed and chosen by the visitor or visitors, was constantly changing as each person or group created a new combination of light and sound.
Originally derived from found lecture slides featuring religious art, decoration, and architecture, the imagery in this project is reminiscent of stained glass windows, mosaics, and other traditional decorations of sacred spaces. Altered through means of scratching and careful removal of emulsion layers, each new image is a visual palimpsest of its referent. In the same way, natural and artificial sounds as well as altered sounds from sacred spaces and practices, formed new musical relationships within the gallery.