If you haven't seen The New Orleans
Museum of Art's newest exhibit, you need to! With the title Morir es Vivir
(To Die is to Live), this installation is truly one of a kind. This piece
by New Orleans-based artist Marta Rodriguez Malek uses light and sound to
portray an archive of feelings regarding the densest subjects of life, grief
and loss, mortality and rebirth, and healing and hope.
The sound collection was created
from a series of conversations amongst people who were willing to share and
discuss these cornerstones of existence. These conversations took place in
different museum galleries at a number of sites across the city. The variety of
people and of locations created a quilt of voices of the community. Morir es
Vivir's intention is to create a space for collective reflection. The
intriguing of two senses, sight and sound, creates an experience that engulfs
viewers in a sense of togetherness. After all, the human experience is a shared
one. This installation fosters a discourse of the cycle of living and dying as
it relates to systems, beliefs, institutions, and relationships. The exhibit
leaves visitors with a sense of purpose in contemplating how they wish to move
in the future.
The installation, which is running
now until September 12, was made possible through the partnership with Jane's Place
Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a housing rights organization committed
to creating sustainable, democratic, and economically just neighborhoods, and
with L.U.N.A. (Latino Unidos de Nueva Orleans en Acción), a grassroots
multi-racial youth coalition that builds the power and participation of young
people between the ages of 16 and 24.
To learn more about the
sound and light installation, visit the museum's website at noma.org.
