Inside of The Rotunda, West Philadelphia’s cultural landmark for boundary-pushing music and performance, there exists a magnificently constructed, acoustic and architectural gem that receives less of the action than the main performance area. Underneath the 80-foot diameter dome from which the space takes its name, The Rotunda and Bowerbird present the results of a multi-month Knight Arts-funded residency appropriately entitled “Sanctuary,” in which a group of collaborating and individual artists and musicians will utilize the space for a series of weekend-long installation and sound-based projects. From an open call that yielded more than 160 applicants, five individuals or groups were selected to fill The Rotunda with sights – but mostly sounds – that they spent at least the last few months assembling and composing within the sonically stunning room. John Phillips & Carolyn Healy, Michael & Linda Bullock, Jorge Cousineau, Tiona McClodden, and Daniel Fishkin will display their work in mid-October during open gallery hours and scheduled nighttime performances that range from sculptural and video pieces to uniquely constructed instruments and projects that directly utilize the sounds of the Sanctuary itself.

Detail from a former version of the Lady’s Harp from Daniel Fishkin’s “Composing the Tinnitus Suites.” Photo by Samuel Lang Budin

Daniel Fishkin developed tinnitus in 2008, and since then, the incurable ear-ringing has influenced him greatly as a person and a musician. Rather than let the tones inside his head prevent him from continuing to write music, he harnessed them as a creative solution and began his ongoing project “Composing the Tinnitus Suites.” For the “Sanctuary” performance, Fishkin has built and installed his latest version of ‘the Lady’s Harp,’ which consists of 20-foot piano strings played by pressure transducers. By exploring the sounds of this instrument/installation in conjunction with his own tinnitus, Fishkin seeks to raise awareness for this condition while providing mystifying sounds for those who choose to listen.

Part of the porcelain additions to the chandelier in “For Violet Oakley” by Linda and Mike Bullock.

A massive 1,500 pound Tiffany & Co. chandelier crafted in 1911 and designed by Violet Oakley once hung in The Rotunda, but it now rests on the floor – an almost forgotten architectural gem. Linda and Mike Bullock took it upon themselves to highlight this piece of design by one of America’s great female artists through a process of adornment with porcelain pieces that fit where glass fixtures for its lights once resided, while using LED lights activating based on Oakley’s own words to illuminate them from within. Acoustically, this work entitled “For Violet Oakley” utilizes audio recordings of harp, voices, contrabass and electronics amplified directly through the chandelier, along with video projections.

Jorge Cousineau’s microphone in place at The Rotunda while recording for “Threshold.”

While many of us may perceive a quiet room as silent, Jorge Cousineau perceives the many subtler aspects of such a relative stillness. For his contribution, Cousineau spent a great deal of time in the building by himself recording the ambient sounds of daily life in Philadelphia that echoed through The Rotunda. Without treating the sounds, he played them back in the space again and again, with the architecture reverberating and amplifying the sounds, turning it into an enormous instrument in its own right.

Tiona McClodden, “The Chills.”

If you’ve ever experienced “The Chills” upon hearing certain tones or songs, then Tiona McClodden’s project of the same name is right up your alley. By referencing her family’s connection to music of the African diaspora, and an interest in bodily responses to specific sounds or compositions, McClodden hopes to elicit similar personal connections from visitors. By recording local African American community members to sing jazz, soul and spiritual renditions among others, as well as playing the ‘sweet spots’ of songs that personally give her such feelings, attendees will be able to sit in rearranged pews and don headphones to hear the touching recordings for themselves.

Projection on the Sanctuary dome for “Residual Signal” by Carolyn Healy and John Phillips.

Various objects – many appropriated from the space itself – line a ledge around the high walls in the sanctuary, but their presence isn’t accidental. Artist Carolyn Healy placed them around the perimeter of the space, almost as a frame for the dome on which three video projections will illuminate for her collaboration with John Phillips entitled “Residual Signal.” These projections work in and out of the structure’s details while the parabolic shape of the location provides acoustic features which Phillips included in his accompanying score.

From October 10-12, The Rotunda will host open gallery hours for “Sanctuary” from 5-10 p.m. on Friday and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Performances will be held every night at 7, 8 and 9 p.m., since many of these projects require a darker setting for their lighting or projections. Make sure to stop by West Philadelphia for what promises to be an amazing auditory experience.

The Rotunda is located at 4014 Walnut St., Philadelphia; [email protected]; therotunda.org.