Kledia Spiro, "Drawing in Air," 2023, gloss enamel on wood, ultrasonic speakers and sensors, wood, momentary switch, 5V fan, cheesecloth, essential oil.
"a dance between viewer and painting" - Boston Globe, read full article here.
Kledia Spiro, Drawing in Air, 2023, gloss enamel on wood, ultrasonic speakers and sensors, wood, momentary switch, 5V fan, cheesecloth, essential oil.
In her solo exhibition, artist Kledia Spiro delves into the fascinating interplay of weight, legacy, and the human experience. Over the last decade, Spiro has embarked on a quest to understand the meaning of "weight" in people's lives.
In 2018, Spiro set out on a unique journey to explore the concept of weight with middle school students from the prestigious Groton School. During her Mudge Fellowship, Artist-in-Residence at the school, she integrated Olympic weightlifting into their curriculum, teaching them complex athletic movements that extended beyond the gym into their English, Physics, art, and biology classes. Spiro recorded their lifts and transformed the data into signature light drawings, capturing a unique essence of each student's journey.
Spiro has collaborated with two diverse musicians, Lianna Sylvan and Kevin Baldwin, to translate her unique light drawings into a captivating music composition. In her upcoming exhibition, she will physically paint these signature light drawings in mid-air. Using sensors placed throughout the exhibition, each drawing triggers a unique sound experience for the visitor. When a visitor interacts with a drawing, they will hear the music created from that student's unique bar path, offering a multi sensory exploration of weight.
In 2023, Spiro extended her project to students from Boston Public School's Bridge to Calculus program. Their perspectives on weight, shaped by underprivileged backgrounds, provide a compelling contrast to the Groton students' experiences.
Spiro's project blurs the lines between information design and art, using drawings to create data for music production. The exhibition will also feature a live performance where Kevin Baldwin translates Spiro's movements into real-time sound, providing an immersive experience for the audience. Attendees will even have the chance to learn Olympic lifts, creating their own unique drawings in air and sound pieces as part of the performance.
Kledia Spiro's Drawing in Air promises to be an unforgettable exploration of weight, legacy, and the profound connections between art and human experience. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind exhibition.
The weight we carry - Cate McQuaid
Photos: Alonso Nichols