An idea map offers a speculative glimpse into the cultural and political history of Borikén (Puerto Rico). A technological ship, named Fragility, hangs delicately from the sky and moves erratically to sounds in the room. A black flag is in mourning, for the strangers were not the gods or saviors they claimed to be. A soil map created by the US Corps of Engineers is etched into reflective mylar, and drifts over a mountain of books. By electronic means, a book serves as a speaker, allowing a language lesson to be amplified and heard throughout the room. Dancing light patterns evoke a bioluminescent lagoon as if from a dream or a memory. It is said that there are alien bases under the sea, and a map of recent UFO sitings on the island provides another layer, as a video on the opposite corner reveals a transcendental object at the end of time. It undulates, hovering over the mountains of El Yunqué to the beat of Bomba rhythms. Through the static of aqueous transmissions, the coquí frog calls out, and a Spanish language lesson is barely heard.
This version of the project first appeared at the Studios at MASS MoCa as part of a month-long residency in January of 2020.
4-channel audio, transducer, radio transmitter, video, microcontroller, light sculpture, mylar
This version of the project first appeared at the Studios at MASS MoCa as part of a month-long residency in January of 2020.
4-channel audio, transducer, radio transmitter, video, microcontroller, light sculpture, mylar