I collaborated with the talented singer Claire Leger to create this interactive piece. The photo shows a section of Knox Mountain in Kelowna, BC. Knox is an important place, historically and in contemporary times. It has witnessed a variety of occupants – the original Sylix people whose territory we live in, the ranchers who ran cattle on the mountain, and the current park next to urban development. Using select words from an essay by Dr John Wagner, on the waves of occupation, I created a 3 by 3 invisible matrix of space in front of the photo. Leger sang each word on a C minor scale. As participants stood in different spots before the photo, they heard sung words that change to reflect different times (pre-contact, first wave of non-aboriginal occupation, contemporary occupation) and different spaces (natural, rural, urban). The notes also change in pitch following the landscape in front of them.
Maggie Shirley 