Venue: Merrill Theater at On the Boards
May 15 & 16, 2021
1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
A collaboration between Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Northwest Film Forum, and On the Boards, and is a part of Murmurations.
Each screening will be followed by a Q&A between Sprang and Vivian Hua, ED of Northwest Film Forum.
Philadelphia-based multidisciplinary artist James Allister Sprang’s Aquifer of the Hum is a 10-minute sound meditation. The piece will be presented with screenings of Aquifer of the Ducts, a 40-minute soundscape of layered tape recordings and modulated synths accompanied by dance. The two works, which draw from naturally occurring underground stores of fresh water, invite audiences to listen deeply, which is “a radical action that allows us to slow down, turn inward, and heal,” Sprang says. Both pieces feature vocalist Starr Busby and are edited by audio engineer Brendan McGeehan.
Aquifer of the Hum was commissioned as part of Lux Aeterna, a year-long project exploring the ways media production and presentation platforms shape our values and perceptions over time. A collaboration between the Jacob Lawrence Gallery and Northwest Film Forum, the project began in summer 2020 as a research platform commissioning more than 10 artists and showcasing performances, workshops, talks, and essays at luxaeternaexhibition.com. Lux Aeterna, meaning a light that refuses to be extinguished, culminates in summer 2021 with a multimedia exhibition at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.
Aquifer of the Ducts premiered in 2020 via Zoom as part of Philadelphia’s FringeArts Fringe Festival, which commissioned the work. The screenings at On the Boards mark the first time the piece screens for an audience in a shared physical space.
These screenings are part of Murmurations, a Seattle-wide arts collaboration that will present a series of multidisciplinary projects beginning in May.
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
Plan your visit
The Merrill Theater at On the Boards can accommodate ten groups of up to three individuals for each of the screenings. Please arrive a few minutes prior to the screening start time and wear a mask for your visit. All patrons will be asked to sign On the Boards COVID building use agreements and consent to having their temperature taken.
For directions and parking information, please see: https://www.ontheboards.org/directions
About Northwest Film Forum
Northwest Film Forum incites public dialogue and creative action through collective cinematic experiences. An independent film and arts nonprofit located in Seattle, Northwest Film Forum incites public dialogue and creative action through collective cinematic experiences. Each year the Forum presents hundreds of films, festivals, community events, multidisciplinary performances, and public discussions. A comprehensive visual media organization, the Forum offers educational workshops and artist services for film and media makers at all stages of their development.