 Ucross Foundation announces today the debut of Confluences, a new site-specific sound experience created by internationally recognized artists and Ucross Fellows Teri Rueb and Laurids Sonne, at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, in conjunction with Ucross Founder’s Day.
Confluences is an emplaced sound experience blending the stories, sounds and seasons of Ucross in a layered composition that covers the main campus and selected ranchland of the residency program. Sounds play in response to one's movement as they walk with a mobile device, running a free downloadable app, while wearing headphones. Voices of valley residents sit alongside artist residents, the regional community, and the many caretakers of this place, all mingling with field recordings of the site taken in different seasons. The title Confluences refers to the merging of Piney Creek, Clear Creek and Coal Creek on the Ucross campus, as well as the convergence of people, land, memory and time. Visitors are invited to slow down, wander and listen to the stories and rhythms that have shaped this unique and special landscape. Originating in 2022, Confluences brought Rueb and Sonne into close relationship with the land and its rhythms. “Time stretches in every direction and is marked by the metronome of one’s footsteps, as much as the geological record below,” Rueb said. “The earth, the water, the wind and the many voices of those who have made this artwork have breathed life into my very being and brought me back to the land, again and again — with gratitude.” Rueb, a Ucross artist-alumna, has made land-based responsive sound installations using GPS since 1996. Her works have been commissioned by galleries, museums, arboretums, planetariums, cultural centers and communities across the United States, Canada and Europe. She has received awards and recognition for her work globally, including a Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction. “In the Clear Creek Valley, this windy wheel that turns our lives tells of perseverance and ways of being with the world, of social and ecological relationships, stretching far beyond what the eye can see,” said Sonne. “But we can hear it if we stretch our ears. Listening requires care, a mutual care, a relational care. I am grateful to the vast communities of the Clear Creek Valley and beyond for their generosity, care and camaraderie, allowing me to listen, whether in the lee side of a barn or working windward in the unfolding of day.” Sonne is a Danish documentary media artist, researcher and organizer who works with representational media, including moving and still images, installation work and sound. His work strives to develop new visual and sonic approaches for rethinking documentary practices. Sonne was a member of the four-person international art collective Parfyme for a decade, working with relational and social-based processes; developing new platforms for community, interaction and exploration. Sonne’s work has been presented internationally: at festivals, art institutions and across land and public spaces. Rueb and Sonne worked closely with software developer and media artist Cristobal Mendoza to create custom software for the app, which is designed to work exclusively onsite. Rueb and Sonne will give remarks to the community, including the many local residents who participated in the project, at the Confluences debut during Ucross Founder’s Day on May 31 with an opening reception at 10 a.m. in the covered pavilion by the confluence of the three creeks. The reception will include complimentary copies of the printed field guide, as well as light refreshments. You can find out more about and secure free tickets to Ucross Founder’s Day here. Starting June 6, access to "Confluences" will be free and open to the public on Fridays. Participants can check in and get started in the Ucross Art Gallery between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Participants should bring headphones and a fully charged mobile device before beginning the sound walk. We recommend downloading the free app (iOS and Android) in advance over a WiFi network. A limited number of devices are also available for loan from the Ucross Art Gallery. Please note that select trailheads are not publicly accessible and will be available on guided walks. Participants are encouraged to contact Ucross at [email protected] or 307-737-2291 for access information. Confluences was commissioned by Ucross Foundation with support from Jesse Marion of Spring, Texas. Additional funding was provided by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Research and Innovation Office and the Center for Documentary Media. For more information about Confluences, visit https://terirueb.net/confluences Comments are closed.
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