About
This project comprises a 2D artwork and accompanying audio piece. Both feature collage as a medium, explore how we live with uncertainty, and were created with participatory input. This piece aims to expand what public art can be, both in medium and in method. Beyond the visual, it incorporates sound as a core element, and embraces the “public” in public art by involving people directly in its creation. Rather than offering a singular perspective, it holds space for many voices and experiences—mirroring our fragmented, yet collective process of navigating through uncertain times.
The Uproar Festival of Public Art runs August 1 through 23, 2025 in Orange County, North Carolina (USA) and is presented by the Orange County Arts Commission, a unit of Orange County government, and the Orange County Arts Alliance, its 501(c)3 nonprofit partner.
From the Uproar website: Sixty bold, high-impact, outdoor works of art will be showcased throughout the downtown communities of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough, North Carolina, and cash prizes will be awarded based on public voting and a jury panel of experts.
More than 140 artists from throughout the southeast applied to be a part of Uproar. Sixty artists were selected from six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. (Felix Obelix is one of them.)
About Uncertain Times: the Audio Art
What tips or tricks do you have for living in uncertain times?
How do you cope when things feel unpredictable or out of your control?
Friends, acquaintances, and strangers were asked these questions in June 2025 and invited to anonymously record their responses on a voicemail hotline I set up. I then extracted, arranged, and juxtaposed the voicemail snippets, as well as composed, performed, and recorded an original music soundtrack.
Scroll above to listen to the piece.
Thank you to all who participated!
The "Uncertain Times" project—both its visual and audio components—premieres at the Uproar Festival of Public art, which runs August 1–23, 2025 in Orange County, North Carolina. More about Uproar can be found below.
a close-up of one section of the 2D artwork
About Uncertain Times: the Visual Art
The visual piece is an abstract collage, first made on paper from old books, then enlarged to 115" x 58" and digitally printed onto aluminum. The original collage was created during a phone conversation between the artist and her friend in early 2025, in which they discussed what it felt like to live in uncertain times. At first glance, the piece feels unstructured and chaotic. Yet, as the eye roves around, patterns in the shapes and colors begin to emerge, letting the viewer make connections between seemingly disparate pieces—much like how we learn to live with and make sense of uncertainty.
The "Uncertain Times" project—both its visual and audio components—premieres at the Uproar Festival of Public art, which runs August 1–23, 2025 in Orange County, North Carolina. More about Uproar can be found below.
a close-up of one section of the 2D artwork
Thank you
Thank you to:
- the many anonymous callers, who left their compelling thoughts on voicemail hotline. Thank you for some brilliant insights and for trusting me with your words.
- Monica and the team at AlphaGraphics, and Heather at Pittsboro Print Plus for help with the sign's production
- Mike Roig for his incredible installation expertise and Josh Starmer for installation help (surviving high temps, an incoming thunderstorm, and stepping in a hill of fire ants!)
- Barnabas and Matt for audio engineering and mixing on a very tight timeline
- All of the Uproar festival organizers for putting together a very complex affair right after a tropical storm blew through our area
- Billy Sugarfix, for multifaceted support
Josh Starmer, installation helper, holding up the 2D artwork, on a sweltering July install day!