Installed in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, as Stop #6 of Uncommon Common Art, Zip aims to enhance engagement in the forest surroundings with this unexpected AV installation as the viewer crosses the threshold from the parking lot to the wilderness-walking trail. Traditional sculpture relies heavily on an embodied experience of the work. The size, texture and forms share the same space as the subject and are experienced in the round. The presence of the work is often understood by questioning the relationship to the body: is the work taller than me? Is it more massive? Does it seem delicate and fragile? These questions show the negotiation of space that occurs between a foreign entity and the viewer. Zip explores a different type of subject/object relationship – the body’s response when it triggers the audio recording, especially when this happens unexpectedly. I propose it will bring into focus the immediate environment, as the autonomic response to surprise is an increased awareness of the surroundings.
jessica winton 