Final Presentation on Saturday May 3
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main St
FREE ADMISSION
Information: 713-743-5749

The Iris Project/Sound is accessible April 25 - May 25 2008 throughout downtown,  Montrose, Medical Center, and Museum District areas of Houston. To see the pattern and map for the buttons visit www.irisprojectsound.com.

The Iris Project is an arts collective formed by University of Houston students David Graeve, Jenny Westbury, Hugh Lobel, Jed Foronda, Corian Ellisor and Katharine Boyette.  As a group we decided to  use the collective format to explore new art theories in the community. Public art and shared space are ideas that continually resonate with us, so conducting a critical dialogue about the intersection of art, people, and space is an essential component of our project.  

Iris Project/Sound, the first incarnation of The Iris Project, designs a shared public space using sound buttons as the “space-activating" points. Downtown Houston serves as the center of the installation, expanding outwards. As an audio component, when the button is pushed it activates the space by emitting a recorded statement or sound landscape. The sensory experience of entering this “alternate” place is very appealing to us. With a push of a button the participant instantly becomes part of a collective creative space.

Concepts such as Relational Aesthetics, Michel Foucault’s Heterotopias and Marc Auge’s “Non-Place” theory serve as a platform for the Iris Project’s innovative approach to interact with the community at large.