Sculpting Air: Telephone
Kledia Spiro, Sculpting Air: Telephone, 2024, featuring special guest Nathan Halbur, music by Nathan Halbur and Angela Yam, Performance, Vivid Oblivion, Cambridge, MA. Presented by Mobius Live.
In my recent performance, at Vivid Oblivion in Cambridge, I explored the intersection of collective mark-making, scent, and mixed reality. Drawing inspiration from my residency at Groton School in 2018, I selected essential oils that evoke personal memories and connections to specific students. Each scent became a catalyst for audience participation.
During the performance, participants engaged in an intimate sensory experience. I passed scents to the audience members via wrist or fingertip touch, inviting them to interpret the aromas through drawings in air. These drawings were projected live, creating an evolving visualization of collective marks that everyone could witness in real-time.
For those who opted in, VR goggles offered an immersive experience, allowing participants to step into and interact with the shared sculpture we were co-creating. An opera singer, Nathan Halbur, added another layer of interpretation, responding in real-time to the visual marks and creating a meditative, almost sacred atmosphere as the scents permeated the room. His live performance was complemented by pre-recorded compositions by Angela Yam. Ten poets were invited to interpret the smells before the music compositions were created, infusing their unique perspectives into the piece. The poetry was contributed by: Jennifer Huang (juniper berry), Sydney Jin Choi (elemi), Jamie Danner (vetiveria), Regina Stroncek (petitgrain), Sarah-Luna Luke (ajedrea), Ayla J. Goktan (neroli), Uma Prasad (rose), Vidita Kanniks (sweet orange), Yolanda He Yang (thyme), and Indë (ginger orange).
The performance concluded with a communal ritual: audience members passed a scent down their neighborhood of seats, blending connection and ephemeral interaction. This act transformed the audience into performers and creators, weaving their individual and collective experiences into the artwork.
The marks created during the event are being translated into animations and are planned for future 3D sculptures, with the ultimate goal of creating a series of audience-driven artworks across different locations. Each iteration will capture the unique essence of its participants while highlighting our shared humanity through scent, touch, and mark making.
Photos: Jasper He