speak--Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, 2023

A sculptural sound installation

Every place on Earth is a reservoir of its own memory. A collection of experiences shared among critters, plants, humans, elements, which exist across time and space. Inherent to any place is a silent, unforgettable memory. This project eulogizes place by inviting it to speak for itself in sonic frequencies suitable for human understanding.

This grouping of ceramic sculptural flutes is arranged on naturally fallen and/or ethically sourced native (Rusty Willow) tree branches. Intending to produce ethereal and often haunting sonic compositions. The flutes are arranged in response to this specific site so as to harvest the wind. The center of the installation becomes a “listening room,” while the flutes remain audible from nearby. Utilizing a multi-octave range, and varied notation, the installed flutes create a nuanced chorus of voices that speak directly for and of the place, inviting conversations with Nature in the language of the wind. As one might expect, the sounds produced can vary in volume and intensity, but are never loud. The natural world is always communicating with us, but sometimes we must pause, breathe, and listen carefully. The voices only speak when they have something to say, and the impatient or distracted viewer may walk away having heard nothing.

This installation is in essence, a sonic world orchestra—allowing the more-than-human world to speak for itself. This ever-evolving composition is informed by memory, elemental forces and the particularities of place. “Songs” oscillate between aggressive and tranquil—reflecting the delicate strata of emotion affecting all life in a multi-species world.