Light Night: Voicing Silence

Voicing Silence is a holographic video piece that responds to today's global extinction crisis and what this means on a human level.

Created collaboratively with artists and Global Majority groups, Voicing Silence questions how we emotionally deal with the ever-growing destruction of animal and plants species, peoples, habitats, ecosystems: How do we resist this loss of diversity, languages, cultures, traditions, ways of life? How do we care for and celebrate what we still have?

The double holographic video installation is presented within a structure inspired by a Thai village house, a place of shelter and protection. In the garden of these buildings, spirit houses of a similar style would be constructed to worship and show respect to the spirits of the land, in the hope of bringing blessings upon its residents, and avoiding misfortune. The Thai belief in providing shelter for spirits who inhabited the land before us is inspiring, offering new ways to think about today's environmental issues and use of land and resources. 

The work was designed and created by artist Lou Chapelle in collaboration with composer and choir leader Jennifer John, sound engineer and producer Dash, movement artist Kali Chandrasegaram, costume designer Rachael Prime, animator Laura Spark, poet Scott Farlow, film-maker Tim Brunsden and project co-ordinator Louise Nulty. 

The work was commissioned by the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at the University of Leeds and funded by the Arts and Humanity Research Council (AHRC).