The Hammer and the Feather

2020-21 Fay Chandler Creativity Grant

Installation view of The Hammer and the Feather, MIT Building W97, May 2022. Credit Danny Goldfield.
Installation view of The Hammer and the Feather, MIT Building W97, May 2022. Credit Danny Goldfield.
Installation view of The Hammer and the Feather, MIT Building W97, May 2022. Credit Danny Goldfield.

Exploring the sonic poetry of gravity

About

The Hammer and the Feather, an immersive audio and visual installation, takes its name from the experiment performed on Earth’s moon by U.S. astronaut David Scott, which proved Galileo’s assertion that gravity exerts an equal force on all objects. Developed at MIT by technical instructor Christian Frederickson and visual artist and filmmaker Greg KingThe Hammer, and the Feather uses the architecture of the liturgical mass as a structural and conceptual framework to create a contemplative and spiritual environment where audience participants can connect with large questions and pursue their own inquiries into the nature of existence. Bridging humanistic and scientific inquiry, the piece uses gravity as a poetic and conceptual departure point for musical, visual, and sonic material.

Schedule

Upcoming Events

The Hammer and the Feather
June 2023
USITT Exhibition
Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space

Past Events

The Hammer and the Feather
May 4-5, 2022 / 8pm
MIT Theater Arts Building, W97
345 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA

Collaborators

Christian Frederickson, Technical Instructor in Sound Design in MIT Music and Theater Arts, is a violist, composer, and sound designer who specializes in live music performance for theater and dance.

Biography: MIT Music and Theater Arts
Website: christianfrederickson.com


Greg King is a CAST Visiting Artist and an award-winning filmmaker, artist, and musician. King is based out of Los Angeles, California, although he is quick to add that he hails from Louisville, Kentucky. His directing work spans documentary films, narrative shorts, experimental art films, music videos, and non-profit promos.

Website: gregking.space

Credits

The Hammer and the Feather is presented by the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology and MIT Music and Theater Arts.