THERMAL: Meditations on Climate Change

THERMAL is a dialogue – through movement, form and sound – centered on Earth’s changing environment.

With the effects of climate change here – THERMAL invites viewers to slow down and appreciate our natural surroundings while simultaneously delivering a sense of urgency to act and anxiety to what might happen next.

Set in the historic Turnblad Mansion, Kim Heidkamp’s sculptural paper artwork sprawls from the ballroom stage across the floor, much like a creature of Norse mythology asleep in the landscape. Scores by composer Joshua Clausen and choreography by Mathew Janczewski of ARENA DANCES activate the work and pull the viewer in.

This interdisciplinary installation is the culmination of a series of in-progress, outdoor showings by ARENA DANCES, with a month-long premiere in February & March of 2022 at the American Swedish Institute. Live performances (by the trio Rachel Clark, Dustin Haug, and José A. Luis) will take place on select Fridays & Saturdays during museum hours and will be presented as a series of ticketed weekend performances. Each performance will be capped at 40 patrons.

The artwork, as well as video and content about the collaboration, will be on display in the Mansion throughout the course of the exhibition.