"Hours of Infinity Part II: Twelve Hours of Infinity: Amduat" Opens March 9
Artist and UM Art and Design student John Kannenberg opened his "Hours of Infinity" exhibition on Friday March 9; the exhibition is divided between the Work Gallery (306 S. State Street) and the Kelsey Museum, Newberry Hall Corridor, where "Hours of Infinity Part II: Twelve Hours of Infinity: Amduat" is on display through March 25.
John Kannenberg's work for "Hours of Infinity" combines a rigorously imprecise drawing method with a disciplined approach to sonic observation and documentation. Kannenberg's drawings for "Twelve Hours of Infinity: Amduat" are inspired by the Egyptian Amduat, examples of which can be found in the Kelsey Museum collection. The Amduat is an ancient text depicting the journey the sun takes during the twelve hours of nighttime before being reborn each morning at sunrise. These cyclical drawings investigate the beautifully absurd imperfection inherent within the human experience of the Infinite.
A third component of this project, a site-specific performance called "One Hour of Infinity," will take place at the Kelsey Museum on Friday, March 23 (reception 5:30 pm, performance 6 pm). This one-hour performance, scattered throughout the Kelsey galleries, combines a rigorously imprecise drawing method, musical compositions based on specific objects in the museum's collection, and digitally manipulated sounds of the museum itself. Their relative stasis will convert this collection of live performers and sounds into living, breathing, sonifying museum objects. Audience members will be encouraged to stroll through the museum observing these sonic objects, personalizing their experience through their own choices and interests; this unconventional sonic situation will explore the beautifully imperfect sense of timelessness experienced by traditional museum audiences.