Devising Hope
Devising Hope is a 75" audio-visual performance and installation co-created by Xuan and composer Annika Socolofsky, features 270 immersive projections, 44-ambisonic speakers, and a live trombone choir, which premiered on April 13, 2024 at the ATLAS B2 Space.
Inspired by sensations of feeling powerless, like that of swimming against an overwhelming current, and the grounding sensations of comfort and safety when settled under a warm blanket fort, this exploratory work aims to evoke a broad spectrum of sensory experiences. On the night of the performance, participants were welcomed by a world of shimmering iridescence and swirling harmonicas and were each given a a pillow as they stepped into into the dark B2 (sub-basement) space. They were invited to inhabit their surroundings as they pleased, settling on the ground or chairs, inside shelters, or to wander around the space freely. Throughout the performance, the sound and visuals undulate in tandem through the ambisonic system like rolling tidal waves, escalating and resolving in tension until the trombone choir takes over at the climax.
As described by an audience member at the end of the performance: “It felt as if I was sitting at the bottom of a pool, calmly observing yet fully embraced by sound and visuals around me.”
Photos and video by Xuan