TORPOR
A sound art/animation collab.
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY ME; ANIMATION BY KATHLEEN MA; WORDS BY BOTH OF US
Torpor is a survival tactic that reduces body temperature and metabolic rates in animals. In Geiser & Bringham’s “Living in a Seasonal World,” the authors suggest that this daily use of torpor may have allowed some organisms to survive through mass extinction events. Our audio visual installation aims to explore this natural display of resilience and the feeling of emerging on the other side of inactivity brought on by feelings of depression and alienation. We’ll be applying the idea of “torpor” to the human spirit, exploring personal experiences of growth through adversity and looking at them from the other side. The work explores the role of our own imaginations in times of inactivity, and also highlights a creative survival tactic found only among certain species.
This piece debuted at Sound Scene 2021, an audio arts festival organized by DC Listening Lounge & the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum.