MARS IS UNDERWATER: A MEDITATION ON THE RUINS OF PROGRESS
MARS IS UNDERWATER is an audio tour that reflects on the passage of time and the ruins of progress. It is an ongoing, living piece. I have performed different iterations of the project in the past--including at the Three Rivers Arts Festival and Afronaut(a) at the Wegman Observatory. In each iteration of the project, the themes and concept remain the same, but the specific experience and composition changes based on site-specific opportunities. For this proposal, MARS IS UNDERWATER will be an audio tour guiding people through the Carrie Furnaces.
Mars is Underwater is a figure of speech existing between jeremiad and forecast. Mars is our nearest neighbor among the planets, and perhaps the most publicized. Mars' fantastic acclaim represents mankind's devotion to the ideas of man. Technological Man has been hellbent on evading its fate. To be no more. Fear begets control and control begets stress, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the Earth and consequentially man's own death. Mars is Underwater scoffs at attempts to manage life. It is a stark reminder of the ruins of progress. And with mankind becoming more and more settled in its technological ways, Mars is Underwater foresees a day of virtual rust.
LIGHTPLAY AT THE CARRIE BLAST FURNACES
Showcasing eleven unique multimedia installations created by a diverse group of local artists and engineers, LightPlay at the Carrie Blast Furnaces features a range of video projection and light-based installations that engage with the site’s intricate structural characteristics, cavernous pathways, and unique industrial aesthetic. This one-of-a-kind experience includes immersive light and sound installations, digital video artworks, and illuminated sculptures that transform the former blast furnace into a sensorial maze.
