Speaker A
Ongoing – permanent Art Installation on site
Speaker A. Photo by Rachel Topham.
A public artwork by Theatre Replacement and Vanessa Kwan, Speaker A uses sound as a medium for storytelling, connection (and disconnection), and shared narrative. Experienced through three directional speakers located in the Second + Main breezeway, the work draws on hundreds of stories exploring restlessness, loss and care in the city. The stories fall into three ‘streams’, each broadcasting from a distinct speaker: A: Restless Futures, B: Speculative Pasts, and C: Instructions for Care.
In each, the narratives explore diverse perspectives on what it means to imagine the future, to mourn a loss from the past, and to describe, here in the present, how to care for something you cherish.
Interspersed amongst each stream are occasional and short instructions to encourage attention to the present moment.
Texts were written by 14 different writers, and have been programmed to play in randomized orders — each time you experience them, the accumulated narrative will be unique. The speakers are activated by sensors which detect when a person is standing underneath them, and are active on site between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
Concept by Vanessa Kwan, Maiko Yamamoto and James Long, with sound design by Antoine Bedard, technical direction by Colin Griffiths, programming by Remy Siu, and written by Lorna Brown, Tim Carlson, Justine Chambers, Amber Dawn, Amiel Gladstone, Hiromi Goto, Whess Harman, Aryo Khakpour, Vanessa Kwan, James Long, Lili Robinson, Faith Sparrow-Crawford, Cease Wyss and Maiko Yamamoto.
Commissioned by Create Properties for the City of Vancouver Public Art Program. Installed September 2021.
Located in the Second + Main breezeway, 180 East 2nd Ave.
You can also experience the work at: speakerA.ca
Photos by Rachel Topham Photography