Pain, Passion, and the Divine

Pain, Passion and the Divine is a moving image installation that explores the expressive capacity of the human body within the architectural and spiritual context of living sacred spaces.

Developed through collaborations with dancers across the United States, and Europe, the work moves away from spoken narrative and instead constructs meaning through movement, gesture, and presence. The body becomes the primary language—carrying emotional, psychological, and existential states without explanation or dialogue. An original score composed for voice and breath extends this language into sound, creating an immersive environment that resonates with the acoustic qualities of each space.

Originally inspired by encounters with contemporary artworks installed within historic ecclesiastical spaces, the project asks:

What happens when contemporary human experience is reintroduced into spaces historically designed for the divine?

Pain, Passion and the Divine emerged from a moment of reflection on the human condition—on how individuals and communities experience uncertainty, loss, and transformation.

Rather than responding directly to specific events, the work turns toward something more fundamental: the shared emotional and psychological states that shape human experience across time and place. From this perspective, the title took form—pain, passion, and the search for meaning as enduring elements of being human.

The project seeks to build a vocabulary through movement that can be felt rather than explained. By placing these expressions within a collective spatial experience, the work invites viewers to encounter these states together or alone—recognizing, perhaps, that we are not as separate as we imagine.

The shape of the human heart is the same in all of us.

The Work

The installation consists of a large-scale projection suspended within the vertical volume of the space. Rather than using traditional screens, the imagery is projected onto finely constructed string surfaces, allowing the image to appear as a permeable field of light—shifting, dissolving, and re-forming in space.

This approach creates a visual condition that is neither fully material nor fully immaterial. The work does not sit on the architecture, but within it—occupying air, light, and movement.

Sound

The work is accompanied by an original score composed by Carla Kihlstedt and Kalyn Harewood.

Developed in close dialogue with the visual structure of the installation, the sound draws on breath, voice, and layered vocal textures—moving between chant, resonance, and silence. The composition is designed to inhabit the space rather than accompany the image, creating an immersive field that reflects the acoustic and spiritual qualities of each site.

Together, image and sound form a unified environment in which the body, voice, and architecture converge.

Site and Space

The premiere presentation is planned for Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, with additional venues in development.
The installation design is conceived specifically for active cathedral environments, where art must coexist with daily life—services, music, gatherings, and community use.

Pain, Passion and the Divine is not conceived as a fixed installation, but as a framework that evolves across locations. The project is conceived as the first iteration of a traveling series, designed to be adapted to cathedrals and related spaces internationally.

At each venue, the work will be paired with a live, site-responsive performance developed in collaboration with local dance communities. These performances engage the core themes of the project—pain, passion, and the search for meaning—through the bodies and cultural contexts of each place.

The opening presentation at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco will include a performance by Margaret Jenkins Dance Company.

Support the Project

The project is being developed in collaboration with dancers, composers, and technical partners, with a focus on creating a visually and spatially integrated installation that can adapt to the unique conditions of each site.
We welcome conversations with organizations, collaborators, and partners interested in supporting the development and presentation of the project.
Grace Cathedral is generously donating the use of the space for two months as an in-kind contribution.

This project is fiscally sponsored by SOMArts Cultural Center, making all contributions tax-deductible. Please download the attached PDF for full instructions on how to make a donation through our fiscal sponsor. If you are interested in supporting the project, we would be glad to connect directly.

Our current funding goal is to raise $50,000 to support:

• filming and post-production

• projection systems and installation materials

• fabrication of custom string projection surfaces

• artist and collaborator fees

• site installation and technical coordination