In the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler gallery it is possible to walk among the clouds thanks to Kirkland College alumna, Mei-Ling Hom K'73, whose exhibition, "Floating Mountains, Singing Clouds," is currently on display in the entrance pavilion of the gallery. The exhibition is the first time a living Asian-American has had a solo exhibition at the gallery. "Floating Mountains" will be open through March 5.
Hom has created 30 cloud-like structures out of hexnet (chicken wire) that float above the observer in a strategically lit area, giving the impression that the clouds are moving, dissolving and reappearing as one walks through the pavilion. The display is coupled with an original Chinese flute (xiao) composition by American composer Eli Marshall to create "a landscape-in-space that translates traditional Chinese landscape paintings into the contemporary register of installation art," according to the Smithsonian. There are speakers placed around the clouds and throughout the pavilion to combine the music with the sculptures. When asked why she included music in the exhibition, Hom said, "The Pavilion is a transitional space, where visitors prepare to clear their minds from the outside and enter another reality. Sound is such a palpable anchor or memory." The music and cloud structures create an atmosphere that is unique to each individual that enters the gallery. Just as one observes the actual clouds and distinguishes different images, the same can happen while viewing "Floating Mountains, Singing Clouds."
Hom is an associate professor of art at the Community College of Philadelphia and is the recipient of a 1999 Leeway Foundation Fellowship, a 1998 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, and a 1992 Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest residency in Thailand. Her work has been featured in exhibitions nationally, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Alternative Museum in New York, and the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County.
-- by Mike Kennett
