Arcosanti

Arcosanti, 2012-16
4-channel video installation with audio
Dimensions: 9’x 23′
Duration: 11:00
Excerpt: 05:00

A reflective performative work, filmed at the sustainable community of the same name located in Arizona. Begun in the 1970’s Arcosanti’s concept was posited by the architect, Paolo Soleri (1919–2013) who began its construction to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth. He Influenced generations of architects and urban designers who worked and studied with him.

I visited this experimental community attracted by its premise, immersion in nature, and isolation. In it, I use physical (bodily) aural and textual expression as a conduit for exploration of the architect’s attempt to integrate natural systems with intentional communal living.

While iconic and architecturally influential, Arcosanti’s initial premise –to be a self-sustaining community for up to five thousand people– remains largely theoretical.

In my time there, a reverence for the site and its architecture, coupled with poetic observations about the community set against the scenic natural backdrop, inform the textual overlays in the piece.

Made with support from the Wexner Center’s Artist Video Program, Columbus, OH