Art Now: Responses to 9/11: Audio

Nationwide Artistic Responses to the September 11 Tragedy and its Aftermath

**All material in this section is archived. It was material collected in the immediate aftermath of 9/11/2001 and reflects the period of that time. For responses to political art in 2003 and later, follow the link to Artists Respond to the Political Present.**

WNYC: Six Months: Rebuilding Our City, Rebuilding Ourselves is a special series from WNYC Radio, New York. From March 4-8, 2002, WNCY featured radio diaries, documentaries and call-in broadcasts on Rebuilding Lower Manhattan, Immigration & Identity, The Economic Aftermath, The Psychology of the City, and Our Sense of Security. WNYC's web site continues the discussion.

Stephen Vitiello: In 1999 Vitiello was awarded a studio for six months on the 91st floor of the World Trade Center's Tower One. During his residency, he created a site-specific sound installation, setting up elaborate recording devices to document the distant noise of bells, cars, and people. Since September 11, Vitiello's installation has been featured on NPR, and The Whitney has asked him to create an installation of the recordings for the Biennial, which opens March 7, 2002.

Tension of Opposites, developed by Matthew Ferraro (Santa Monica, CA), is a project in which people's life experiences are recorded, edited, and manipulated. Ferraro will then create music using these sounds as musical tools within the context of a symphony orchestra and also will explore and compare the emotional content of these different experiences. The project is being completed in phases–Los Angeles, New York City, and the Southwestern U.S/Mexican border. While in New York, he recorded Ground Zero and testimonials from those directly impacted by the events of September and its aftermath-firemen, WTC survivors, and displaced residents. The final composition will be approximately 40 minutes long and will be released on CD. Contact Matthew Ferraro at 310.393.3125 or by e-mail: [email protected].

LoC Documentary Project: The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is calling upon folklorists and other ethnographers across the nation to document on recordings the feelings expressed by average citizens following September 11, 2001.

1stPerson.org memorializes the tragedy by debuting new writing and audio work on the 11th of each month. 1stPerson.org welcomes the personal narrative told in literary and audio art form.

A Sonic Memorial: A group of NPR producers are creating a sonic memorial to commemorate and chronicle the people, places and endeavors that made up the life and history of the World Trade Center. The audio materials they gather — voicemail, phone messages, home recordings, and dictation tapes — may be shaped for national and local radio broadcasts, incorporated into various on-site memorials, or donated to a public archive.