Sounds Of Love And War
2008
installation view: West Martello Fort, Key West, Florida
multiple-speaker outdoor sound installation
dimensions variable
In researching the site of the West Martello in Key West, Florida, it was discovered that in the past it was used for military purposes during the civil war. In present day it functions as a garden and upon further research I discovered that the site is rented out for wedding ceremonies. This juxtaposition of past and present I found to be quite a puzzling dichotomy. The past a place of war and violence, the present a place of traditional beauty and love.
Shpungin created a site specific sound work. Sounds Of Love And War links these two times and spaces together. As viewers stroll along they are brought back audibly to what was, what is and what may be. Sounds of a soldiers march meld with that of the wedding march, sounds of gunfire and artillery meld with that of cheers and kisses. This melding creates a new composition acting as a sort of symphony to pay tribute to the site. The use of sound as a medium acts as a three dimensional surrogate, filling the space with sound waves rather than traditional matter.
The work was initially installed through the use of carefully placed in ground speakers and utilizing the acoustics of the brick walkways and arches.