meredith emery

(2019) wood, fabric, plexiglass, sound, 10" x 3" x 3"

The Silence Archive examines the function of silence observed within the self as well as between individuals. What are the dimensions of presence in conversation with others? How can people share with one another in the absence of verbal language? Under what social and environmental parameters does silence become political, healing, trusting, and/or confrontational between parties? This listening device that plays ten to fifteen minute sessions of recorded silence between me and individuals in my community. Each session of shared silence is structured with a recording followed by a debrief on the reflections we each made in our time without words.

By asking others to listen to shared silence, listeners must attune to the sound of bodies and imagine the dimensions of the shared space in which the recording was made, all the while reflexively observing themselves in silence.