This piece was created for the Albany BulbFest in 2019, a festival exploring the resilience of the park in the face of natural and human effects. I composed five short monologues to draw people’s attention to various points in the park.
The audio was accessed via QR codes printed on cards that I hung on trees near each point. Similar to “I Spy” and “Utility Box Art,” my aim was to call attention to views that people might not notice otherwise. I believe this encourages people to appreciate their surroundings more and enriches their sense of place.
The piece is about being present in a location, truly paying attention to what’s in front of you, below you, around you, right now. It addresses how the feeling of presence ties one to the environment and the world in general; we are still here, now. And now.
At each moment our bodies are recreating themselves and the land is changing and evolving. There is always loss, but there is always rebirth and regeneration.
I’ve reinstalled it with permanent tiles marking each spot. Look for them attached to hunks of concrete on the ground. There are five spots marked on the map with stars. You exploring the Bulb is part of this piece. I could have used GPS coordinates, but I want people to look around and discover.
Each tile has a QR code that links to this webpage where you can listen to the audio recordings. The map is also on the Bulb bulletin board.
