2007

Commissioned by Art House Austin, with the support of a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation, National Endowment of the Arts, and Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. Curated by Regine Basha.

The research and production of this project involved collaborating with professionals from various fields: a Texas rancher who has developed methods for rainwater harvesting, engineers, plumbers, musicians, scientists including water-toxicologists and hydro-geologists, and philosophers.

A number of Austin choirs gathered at Sunken Gardens in Austin to listen to and sing different arrangements of Wade in the Water, an African-American spiritual and coded escape song used by slaves on the Underground Railroad. This song and others like it included messages and warnings hidden in its words. Wade in the Water told escaping slaves to get off the trail and into the water to make sure the slave-catchers’ dogs could not sniff out and follow their scent.

Sunken Gardens is part of a network of springs in Austin, which includes Barton Springs and Old Mill Springs. At Barton Springs there is a natural swimming pool, framed by century-old pecan trees and offering a constant water temperature of 68°F. It is also the home of an endangered species of salamander, Eurycea sosorum. Thanks to the work of local groups such as Save our Springs, which protested plans for commercial development in the Barton Springs area in the 1990s, this so- called ‘soul of Austin’ is now a public park and protected home of the Barton Springs salamander.

Materials & Actions: Gathering of choirs to listen and sing, one at a time, Wade in the Water, single channel video, 12 minutes 50 seconds.

Location: Sunken Gardens, Barton Springs, Austin, Texas.