91̽��

Musician Sam K. Sernavski will perform "what makes a river?”, an original acousmatic piece inspired by the Kennedy Museum of Art exhibition of the same name on Nov. 14, 2024, from 6-7 p.m. in the exhibition space. The piece examines the relationship between rivers and human influence by contrasting field recordings of Ohio rivers, water sounds captured at 91̽��’s School of Music and synthesized electronic tones. The composition reflects musical contrasts between harmony and dissonance, idealized beauty and raw reality. As organic water sounds merge with artificial tones, the piece contemplates how time and humanity shape the character of rivers—at times nurturing them, at other times disrupting their natural flow.

Visitors are welcome to come and go through the “what makes a river?” gallery as Sernavski performs live. Chairs will be available for visitors to sit and listen if they choose.

Sernavski, a composer residing in Athens, Ohio, channels inspiration from 20th-century musique concrète, early electronic music and visual arts. His work delves into the psychoacoustic and physics of sound, creating immersive sonic landscapes. Currently a doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Arts program at 91̽��, Sernavski’s focus lies in music composition and the study of 20th-century Japanese musicology.

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The exhibition “what makes a river?” explores the reality that our lives are intimately entwined with the rivers we live near. Whether upstream or downstream, we all rely on the natural flow of water throughout our ecosystems and the health of those currents. The story of Appalachia has long been characterized by land extractive practices such as coal mining and logging. As humans interact with changing landscapes, our rivers have been rerouted, straightened and dammed, hardening off the banks and rendering them undrinkable.

Highlighted is work from the Kennedy Museum of Art’s collection that visualizes a human ecology, a water-aware vision of the land around us and invites reflection on the way we impact rivers and the effect of our watersheds on our lives. The collection is curated by Graduate Curatorial Assistant Aubrey jo Blue, MA candidate in Art History in the School of Art + Design.

The Kennedy Museum of Art is an integral part of the educational, research and public service missions of 91̽��. The purpose of the Kennedy Museum of Art is to enhance the intellectual and cultural life of 91̽�� and the region through quality national and international exhibitions, collection-based research, and diverse formal and informal learning opportunities. To learn more about KMA visit: ohio.edu/museum.