Joy Still, 2018

Site-specific sound installations in 3 sites Grace Farms, New Canaan, CT

Sanctuary: Joy, still
16-channel soundtrack 21.38 minutes, electronics, speakers and subwoofers integrated into existing architecture.

Speakers and subwoofers placed in the plenum circulate sound underneath the building. The sound seeps into the room via hundreds of floor vents under the chairs. Using this distribution system, 16 channels of sound are mapped to move around the room in choreographed patterns.

The sound consists of both audible and inaudible tonal frequencies, some of which produce palpable vibration. These tones are layered with field recordings, interviews, vocal and musical contributions relating to personal experiences of joy. Contributions from Kenyon Victor Adams, Garnette Cadogan, Rhys Ellis, Maria Fee, Ross Gay, Willie Jennings, Molly Joyce, Meredith Monk, Sharon Prince, Pamela Ruggio, Nicole Sealey, and Christian Wiman.














Corridor: Prelude / Postlude
4-channel soundtrack, 12.30 minutes
The Sanctuary and Library are linked by a curved corridor. Specifically placed speakers activate the parabolic architecture to reflect, amplify and displace sound. The soundtrack consists of theological and poetic discourses on the relationship between joy and suffering. Contributions from Maria Fee, Willie Jennings, Meredith Monk, and Christian Wiman.




Library: Transfer Objects
Bass wood, optical lenses, electronics, composed soundtracks

Four hand-carved wooden works on the shelves in the Library transmit poems related to joy. These book-scale forms can be picked up and “read” through multi-sensory explorations. Contributions from Ross Gay, Stanley Kunitz (1905–2006), Nicole Sealey, and Christian Wiman.





















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