You have one more week to catch artist Leigh Davis' audio installation Vigil at the newly restored Historic Chapel at Green-Wood Cemetery. Inspired by Davis’ participation in the Threshold Choir, a nationwide group that carries on the “ancient tradition of bedside singing to the dying,” the work examines the “power of loss and memory through song.”
The immersive piece features angelic vocals softly emanating from speakers as visitors gaze upon the Chapel’s radiant stained glass windows, providing the opportunity to “acknowledge the passing of time and the complexity of grief while sitting together,” the artist states on her website.
The piece was designed to be experienced in venues rich with “history of loss and rebirth.” Davis debuted Vigil in September 2016 at the Clermont Estate, a historic home overlooking the Hudson River. The installation was first presented at the Green-Wood Historic Chapel in October 2017 as part of Open Source Gallery’s Reimagining Tradition, an exhibit of site-specific projects that connected “socially engaged art and ritual practice.”
Green-Wood welcomed Vigil back to its newly refurbished Chapel in September 2020 as a response to the overwhelming “individual and collective loss” currently sweeping the country due to the pandemic. “[S]itting with others in grief, or imagining those who’ve departed before, can bring to light both the personal and universal aspects of mutual loss and invite a chance for these emotions to be processed in a therapeutic way,” the artist notes. The majestic, hallowed setting, “a place of solace and comfort for those grieving for over a century,” according to Green-Wood, allows visitors to meditate, reflect, and “contemplate the complexity of mourning” in an environment that exudes serenity and calm.
About the Historic Chapel
Green-Wood's Gothic-style Historic Chapel was built in 1911 by Warren and Wetmore, the firm behind the design of Grand Central Terminal. The non-denominational venue features a minimal limestone interior with a soaring domed ceiling that accentuates the dazzling stained glass.
Founded in 1838, Green-Wood Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006. The Historic Chapel was granted individual landmark status in 2016, according to Brownstoner. The Chapel closed in July 2018 for renovations and reopened last month.
About the Artist
Based between Brooklyn and Washington, DC, Davis is an interdisciplinary artist who explores “culture, community, and memory,” according to her website. Her recent works focus on end-of-life experiences and how they “help us understand both the emotional intricacy of grief and the ways in which we construct our beliefs about human consciousness and a possible afterlife.”
For her installations, Davis regularly employs spaces that possess “their own spirituality or sense of community” to complement and highlight her narratives and form connections between the audience members with each other as well as with the subjects and the spaces.
Visiting Green-Wood
Before heading to Green-Wood Cemetery, visitors can download the lyrics to the three vocal arrangements featured in Vigil here. Davis' installation is a welcome haven during these challenging times, where visitors can immerse themselves in the healing energy of music.
Vigil will be presented through October 19, 2020, from 10am to 4pm daily. Masks are required and visitors must keep a distance of at least six feet while in the Historic Chapel. Learn more at www.green-wood.com.
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