2024

Mixed Media, 2 channel audio

Portals in the Palace of the People is a series of installation pieces designed for public libraries. The pieces are installed on bookshelves in the library. They consist of a small diorama, and sound played on headphones inside the diorama. Both the diorama and the sound are related to the section of the library that the piece is installed in.

People use libraries in many different ways. Some reserve books online and come in just to pick them up, some browse the shelves hoping to discover something new, and some aren't concerned with books at all; libraries often function as community gathering places where other "non-book" services are provided: day care, tax preparation, voter registration, homework help, computer/internet/printer/scanner access, etc.

Libraries are some of the only places where a person can be indoors and not be expected to buy anything or pay an entrance fee.

Even the smallest libraries hold an incredible amount of information in the books that are housed there, all of which are free and easy to access.

This project seeks to highlight the power of libraries as incredibly accessible places with the ability to transport library patrons to any other place through books. At the front desk of the library is a directory of sorts, a list of call numbers where the portals could be found. Participants look through the stacks as if they were looking for a particular book and come across the installation.

The work uses sound to do the transporting. The sounds heighten participants' awareness of their surroundings giving some context to the content of the books surrounding the piece. The portal works both ways: transporting participants to a new but related space, and also bringing some of those spaces into the library making the content of the surrounding books sing.