Cascade's Silence
Faculty Mentor
Josh Hobson, Marc LaPointe
Presentation Type
Creative Work
Start Date
4-13-2026 4:30 PM
End Date
4-13-2026 6:30 PM
Location
Art Building
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Art
Abstract
This audio-visual projection installation explores the psychological and physical weight of systemic pressure and marginalization. The project investigates the phenomenon of individual voices being subsumed into an overwhelming and chaotic whole. This work was developed through an investigation of imitative polyphony, utilizing the solitary recorded strike of a single glass marble that builds into a dense, tactile roar delivered through a multichannel surround sound system. Drawing from Salome Voegelin’s philosophy from the book, Listening to Noise and Silence, regarding the deep subjectivity of the auditory, this project utilizes "phenomenological doubt" to challenge the perceived reality of the viewer. The sonic environment was influenced by the subversions of John Cage and Nam June Paik, specifically in their rejection of traditional musical conventions in favor of iconoclastic sound. Visually, the piece is intended to employ environmental digital projections: a choice influenced by the world-building of Meriem Bennani and the instructional subversions of Yoko Ono. By subverting traditional spatial references, the piece simulates the sensory disorientation inherent in systemic struggle. This sensory saturation forces a transition from detached observation to a visceral, shared vulnerability: a shift that echoes Marina Abramović’s "energy dialogue" between artist and participant . The work also draws from the vocal cacophony found in Sonia Boyce’s practice to highlight the tension between individual and collective presence. The performance concludes with an abrupt descent into a deafening silence accompanied by low-contrast visual noise, symbolizing the finality of systemic erasure. By grounding the audience in a state of shared vulnerability, this work serves as a critical analysis of social patterns and a refusal of systemic stagnation.
Recommended Citation
Morrigan, Nafm-Nova, "Cascade's Silence" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 23.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/cw_2026/art_2026/23
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Cascade's Silence
Art Building
This audio-visual projection installation explores the psychological and physical weight of systemic pressure and marginalization. The project investigates the phenomenon of individual voices being subsumed into an overwhelming and chaotic whole. This work was developed through an investigation of imitative polyphony, utilizing the solitary recorded strike of a single glass marble that builds into a dense, tactile roar delivered through a multichannel surround sound system. Drawing from Salome Voegelin’s philosophy from the book, Listening to Noise and Silence, regarding the deep subjectivity of the auditory, this project utilizes "phenomenological doubt" to challenge the perceived reality of the viewer. The sonic environment was influenced by the subversions of John Cage and Nam June Paik, specifically in their rejection of traditional musical conventions in favor of iconoclastic sound. Visually, the piece is intended to employ environmental digital projections: a choice influenced by the world-building of Meriem Bennani and the instructional subversions of Yoko Ono. By subverting traditional spatial references, the piece simulates the sensory disorientation inherent in systemic struggle. This sensory saturation forces a transition from detached observation to a visceral, shared vulnerability: a shift that echoes Marina Abramović’s "energy dialogue" between artist and participant . The work also draws from the vocal cacophony found in Sonia Boyce’s practice to highlight the tension between individual and collective presence. The performance concludes with an abrupt descent into a deafening silence accompanied by low-contrast visual noise, symbolizing the finality of systemic erasure. By grounding the audience in a state of shared vulnerability, this work serves as a critical analysis of social patterns and a refusal of systemic stagnation.
