The moving mechanism of an acoustic upright piano is extracted and placed on the floor to operate on a selection of sounding materials. Feathers, wheat stalks, glass jars and tuned wood scraps become a palette for evoking a sense of place, recalling a memory or a dream through sound.
The placement of the keyboard on the floor asks the viewer to kneel in the posture of prayer, for careful listening and reverence to sounds often made in passing or as mistakes. The keyboards and action are taken from antique pianos that were destined for the landfill.
The installation begins with a performance by the artist and then the piece is left to be played and explored by spectators.
2013
125cm x 50cm, piano mechanism, sounding materials
installation mock-up featuring Sara Huynh
thanks to Daniel Robbins from DR Media for the video