If you’re in the vicinity of Lawrence, Kansas, be sure to catch the time-travel portal near a bench in South Park. It’s part of my new project through the Lawrence Arts Center. Be sure to BYO headphones for best results.
“A Portal is Opening” builds from the experience of raising a child in 2022. It’s about the temporal wormholes through which moments from childhood reappear, and how parenthood alters the shape of the future beyond one’s own lifespan. The project uses immersive sound, an interactive map, and two large works on paper to imagine a message sent from a child living seven generations from our “now.” This narrative was inspired by Environmental Activist and Buddhist Scholar Joanna Macy, who leads participants into connection with someone living 200 years in the future.
What might that someone have to say to us, and how would we respond? Voiced by my own child (and guided through her editorial oversight), the message sent through this Portal is an invitation to consider how attention and everyday actions might shift the trajectory of what happens beyond our own lifespans, one possible future among many.
A Portal is Opening is part of the exhibition “Making it Work: Art and Parenting,” on view til July 30th, 2022.