THE SEEKER, THE HEALER, AND THE CHOIR
2023
Witwen, WI
(Ho-Chunk territory)
Assistants: Ji Sun Chong, Ben Binversie
Special thanks to:
Worm Farm staff and volunteers, Cathi Schwalbe, and Scott Sprecher
Photos
Ji Sun Chong, Sarah Kavage
Witwen, WI
(Ho-Chunk territory)
Assistants: Ji Sun Chong, Ben Binversie
Special thanks to:
Worm Farm staff and volunteers, Cathi Schwalbe, and Scott Sprecher
Photos
Ji Sun Chong, Sarah Kavage
The Seeker, the Healer, and the Choir was a commission for Worm Farm Institute’s 2023 Fermentation Fest at Witwen Campground in Witwen, WI - a historic campground that was built in the 1800s to host spiritual revival meetings. The work examines the human tendency to look for spirituality in nature.
I was also interested in a dialogue between different materials - the braided “invasive” reed canary grass and the woven native willow - as a way to prompt viewers to think about things wanted and unwanted in the landscape. The willow is staked into the earth and hopefully will take root and grow along the creek, preventing erosion. Although the reed canary grass is a pale substitute for the native wetlands and prairie that used to exist in the area, it also has beauty and ecological value.