A Maritime Haunting is a multi-channel, immersive sound installation that uses the voice to convey the ambiguous loss resulting from border policies in the Mediterranean Sea. Through speech and song, the piece incorporates sonic elements of the sea such as waves, tides, and surges, depicting the sea as a passageway, a grave, and, in the context of migration, a space of exception.

The performers vocally explore the experience of ambiguous loss and state of denial related to lives lost during migration, assuming the role of an ancient Greek chorus to create a collective voice of mourning. They will express an elegy for those lost and presumed dead at sea. Their voices merge and divide, experimenting with pitch, intonation, breath, pacing, and silence, transitioning from operatic singing to theatrical utterances to narrate the realities of this contemporary tragedy.

Designed for viewers of all ages, this installation is free and open to the public during the regular operating hours of the Rubenstein Arts Center (Monday through Friday: 10am-8pm and Saturday & Sunday: 1pm-6pm).

Ensemble:
Natasha Walfall
Shanna Iglesias
Allison Gish
Joy Tamayo
Sophie Delphis
Karina Parker-Mura

Choral Composition:
Samuel Lang Budin
Allison Gish
Joy Tamayo
Sophie Delphis
Karina Parker-Mura

Sound Design and Mixing: 
Quentin Chiappetta

Video by Karlis Bergs

Meet Freya Powell

Freya Powell

Freya Powell creates ensemble performances, immersive sound installations, and essay videos. Drawing on fields such as forensic anthropology, feminist and affect theory, and literature her projects make connections between the …

More Info