Reflect & Resonate

In Iroquois or Haudenosaunee, an indigenous confederacy in northeast North America, music had been an crucial component of social gathering and spiritual ceremonies. As the background for dances according to the situation, percussive instruments were used to produce rhythm for participants including the lead singer or dancer. These songs and dances are important media integrating indigenous worldview and had been passed down from generation to generation.

    

Drum and rattle are the two major percussive instruments used during these events. Like other artefacts, they were made with natural materials at hand which would offer vitality to them. Whether being made or played, they were treated with respect and compassion. The snapping turtle rattle has a deep connection to the notion of ‘turtle island,’ the embodiment of Mother Earth in many indigenous world creation stories. The water drum falls into one of the many types of drums made by indigenous people. By hitting it with the wood drumstick, the beat is claimed to match the heartbeat of Mother Earth.

    

By playing the instruments, people not only strengthen the connection within, but also to the surrounding world since every object has relation to another in Indigenous view. Thus, It’s vital for us to start actively perceive the ‘vibrant matter’ that is embedded in the objects, even the static ones. Only then will we be more responsible to our living environment.

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In exhibiting the artefact and the Indigenous thinking behind them, REFLECTION and RESONANCE were introduced as the two major concepts for the room. When perceiving sounds, one can see them as the result of a matter's vibration, which indicates the source's vibrancy. As mentioned, Haudenosaunee people play instruments to strengthen their connection to the world through resonating their heartbeat to the heartbeat of Mother Earth. 

    

Reflection is not only a physical phenomenon but also a spiritual one. Only when people see their relation to the world will they build a better connection and appreciation. In Indigenous culture, everything is interconnected. A self-reflection helps us redefine our position in the world, not at the top, but within it. Resonance is formed by the interaction of waves, which can be seen as the visual form of energy in every object in the world. These waves constantly encounter and build up to a larger realm, whether seen or unseen.

    

In building form, the slanted wall with a reflective layer helps visitors locate themselves within the room through a holistic perspective. Besides, it also applies to the artefact. The tensile roof pulled by the wind chime elements and strings represents the visible and invisible aspect of sound to wave, energy, or the vibrant matter. The visitor could interact with the chimes due to their eye level height. Such relation also reflects on the floor level. The wavy floors resemble the visual form of waves starting from the two pits where the artefacts sit. Lastly, the floor's highest point marks the intersection between two waves.

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