threshold, 2007-2008
- 133” x 80” x 80”
- threshold is lending in the Art Across Campus program at Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY until May 2011.
Created during a residency at Sculpture Space, Utica, NY and funded in part by the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts. - November 2007. Sculpture Space, Utica, NY
- Single channel sound and the sound generated LED.
Approximately 45 seconds interval. - 2.5cm waterproof speaker, MP3 player(CD player in 2007), LED, original circuit, and solar cell.
- — sound info —
sound source: noise from Utica town
sound edit: Takafumi Ide
voice:
threshold, a site-specific light and sound outdoor sculpture for Utica, NY, was created when I was in the residency program at Sculpture Space in fall 2007. Inside of the lampshade, there is a LED light and water-proof speaker. The sound source is recorded in Utica such as whistle and environment noise. In addition, there is male voice, said, “Welcome.” “Do you remember?” “How long have you been?”
I created this sculpture based on the idea how Utica people remember or forget their grandeur era. I found a Utica history book that has a story about the first orphanage in Utica city in early 1800. threshold is designed based on the impression from the book. The design of door silhouette is originally came from a mansion door in the book, which is no longer existed. I imagine digging the door and revitalizing the energy of the period when Utica was glorious. In the meantime, I want to turn Utican’s thoughts toward their past and future. The door is welded, so audience can’t open the door, however, they see through their future in the window inside the sculpture.
threshold was made for Utica first, however, I realize that there are many cities like Utica in the United States especially around not only the Erie Canal where once flourished its economy, but also the places where have same experience in the past.
Text by Takafumi Ide, December 2007 (edited in 2011)