In Silence … by Joel Ong

Joel Ong’s installation, In Silence …, takes a selection of anecdotal stories abstracted from interviews with individuals at medical, ecological, and socio-cultural frontlines, and “narrates” them through actors limited to non-vocal expressions. A reflecting pool reveals patterns that alternate between emergence and disappearance in synchrony with the story’s emotional valences and as cymatic visualizations of speech. The audio for these stories is accessible through a bone-conductance railing nearby, audible through touch. Ong’s work pays tribute to the resilience of these frontline communities through emotional turmoil and uncertainty that has made them feel they were in a perpetual suspension and immobility. This iteration of In Silence at the UCLA Art Sci Gallery also features two survivor testimonials from the Climate Disaster Project.

Apr 04 – May 02, 2025