The Listening Garden

The Listening Garden

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Day 4 at The Listening Garden

I met a friend at The Listening Garden today - Trinity - she is just old enough to sign her name in the guest book. Trinity noticed the cricket sounds in The Listening Garden. In the guest book, someone wrote about a song that came to her mind while reflecting in The Listening Garden ("What a friend we have in Jesus)". I've noticed several people around more than once - sometimes I feel like I need to stay away just to let others have a chance to be themselves in The Listening Garden. I've felt that I need to visit several times a day to make sure everything is still working, and have also found myself feeling responsible for keeping the trash out of the area. When items from the installation get moved, I feel tense about it, but I actually think it's a good thing. People have been moving the chairs around, which I think means they are enjoying the space as a public place, not a piece of art to be observed only.

Even though I created the garden, I am still mesmerized when one of my whirligigs (or several) start moving. I'm pretty happy with the garden as a first installation, though I give my construction a C, and definitely plan to continue this space mapping project. The opening performance was beautiful - the performers and audience get major credit for their intense focus and willingness to experience the lengthy interludes of stillness during the hour long piece.

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