Pain, Passion, and the Divine

The Shape of the Human Spirit

Overview

Pain, Passion and the Divine is a two-channel 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?

Origin

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 two large-scale projections 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.

The two-channel structure establishes a sustained dialogue between bodies, gestures, and emotional states. Meaning emerges through relation rather than singular perspective, inviting viewers to move, compare, and spend time within the work rather than consume it from a fixed point.

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 project is conceived specifically for active cathedral environments, where art must coexist with daily life—services, music, gatherings, and community use.

To accommodate this, the work is suspended high within the space, allowing it to remain present without interfering with the ongoing rhythms of the site. Light becomes the primary material, and the installation adapts to changing conditions throughout the day, including shifting natural light.

The premiere installation is planned for Grace Cathedral, marking the first realization of the project within a living ecclesiastical setting.

A Living Work

Pain, Passion and the Divine is not conceived as a fixed installation, but as a framework that evolves across locations.

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 will include a performance by Margaret Jenkins Dance Company.

In this way, the work extends beyond the projected image, creating an ongoing dialogue between recorded and live bodies, between structure and interpretation, between the individual and the collective.

Trajectory

This project marks a significant evolution in David Hodge and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge’s long-standing exploration of multi-channel installation.

While their earlier works have used multiple viewpoints to construct layered human narratives, Pain, Passion and the Divine shifts toward a more direct, embodied form of expression—where meaning is carried through presence rather than spoken voice.

The project is conceived as the first iteration of a traveling series, designed to be adapted to cathedrals and related spaces internationally.

Support & Development

Pain, Passion and the Divine is currently in active development, with initial filming, visual studies, and technical testing underway.

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.

Early support from individual contributors has helped bring the project into motion, with approximately $6,000 raised to date. Additional funding is being pursued through grants, institutional partnerships, and collaborations with equipment and technical providers to support both the completion of the work and its realization at architectural scale.

The premiere presentation is planned for Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, with additional venues in development.

We welcome conversations with organizations, collaborators, and partners interested in supporting the development and presentation of the project.

Support the Project

The realization of Pain, Passion and the Divine at architectural scale requires a combination of artistic development, technical production, and installation within a complex and active space.

Our current funding goal is to raise $60,000–$80,000 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

Early support from individual contributors has helped initiate the work, with approximately $6,000 raised to date. We are continuing to build support through grants, partnerships, and individual contributions.

If you are interested in supporting the project, we would be glad to connect directly.

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.

Grace Cathedral is generously donating the use of the space for two months as an in-kind contribution, allowing resources to be directed toward artists and production.