About the Project
We came across a trove of mysterious astronomical research some time ago — materials hoarded by a scientist with crackpot brilliance whose theories initially seemed ludicrous. But the more we dove into his drawings and designs, the more engrossed we became. Until we put one of his theories to the test — and this event series was born.
He claimed to have found a planet that had fled from its siblings and was on an unexpected course, catapulting away from its original elliptical path around its sun. The planets left behind in its solar system soon struggled to stay in their orbits, compensating for the sudden imbalance in their gravitational forces with explosive shifts and ruptures in their mountain ranges.
What he found next was startling: The planets were sending out distinct wavelengths that were both unique and conjoined — a kind of loop, or lasso, which they cast out into the universe until it coincided with the path of the planet, where they would capture it and draw it back into their rein.
For this they needed to pass through a resonating chamber which would not only snare the planet but also offered us the opportunity to listen in on their narrative exquisite corpse — and give us a means to guide the planet through to safety.
In an abandoned train tunnel in Ohio, we tested this theory and were treated to a surprising landscape of auditory wonders. Feeling the presence of the renegade planet brought us to the edge of a cosmos whose invisible spectacles, for just a moment, became tantalizingly and wondrously real.
FALLING SIDEWAYS IS:
- an immersive auditory exquisite corpse
- site-specific and scientific
- inside abandoned tunnels
- and you're invited
We are an itinerant band of artists called Seafoam Palace, hailing from cities across the U.S. and parts of Europe. Together we have already staged Falling Sideways in places such as Berlin, Tunisia, Krakow, Estonia, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and others, with more coming up.
To join us – or suggest possible event sites – you can check back here, join our mailing list, follow our Instagram or send an email.
Credits
Concept, writing, direction: Julia Solis
Composition, audio design, science: Christos Pathiakis
Lensball, apparatus and website design: Tom Kirsch
Lighting design and production: Kim Couchot
Artists
Alessandro Toffoli / Rome
is a narrative material artist, writer, and co-founder of Arcadia Subterranea based in Rome, Italy and Detroit, USA.Aziza Knight / Detroit
says: “I am a chiropractor, mom, community organizer, change advocate and chaos crafter. I was born and raised in Highland Park (MI), but have enjoyed a nomadic life, moving dozens of times and now living in Detroit. I use my hands to work with bones and earth, a world orphan who believes in engaging in expansive experiences in order to activate sleeping DNA. I believe in naps, and hard work: I believe in laughter, the power of violence and the authority of love.”Bryan Parcival / Waltham
is an experimental filmmaker and mixed-media artist whose work combines animation with live-action film and still photography. His work has won awards and screened at film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Ottawa International Animation Festival, The World Animation Celebration, Dragon*Con, and others. Bryan has been an Adjunct Professor at RISD since 2002 and also teaches at Harvard University. He splits his time between Waltham, MA and Detroit.Cassandra Downs / London
has designed and run immersive events since her youth. Endlessly fascinated by the enduring practice of storytelling to shape and influence humanity - be it for better or worse. Perpetually teetering on the edge of creative fulfilment and manic burnout. Ostensibly wasting her design degree, and loving every second of it.Christopher Beauchamp / New Haven
is a photographer specializing in dramatic environmental portraits. An internationally recognized documentarian of aerial and subterranean settings, he has worked with an array of advertising, editorial and corporate clients, including National Geographic.Christos Pathiakis / Austin
is a lens-based audio artist living in Austin, TX. He is also an Emmy Award-winning producer and editor for television. Through Austin’s Northern-Southern Gallery in Austin, Christos has presented lens-based and environmental works that incorporate elements such as hand-made magic lantern slides and optical viewers. With Seafoam Palace, Christos creates multi-channel audio installations as part of larger, site-specific events.Dorothy Melander-Dayton / Santa Fe
is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus in theatrical design. She splits her time between her birthplace of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Detroit, Michigan. Dorothy’s practice involves traveling to put on shows and participate in festivals and residencies around the globe. Her 10 years of being an ensemble artist, in combination with her 15+ years of traveling and working with different artists and collectives, has greatly influenced Dorothy’s work. She considers an appreciation of place and locality as an important consideration in her many site-responsive works. Similarly, a life-long passion for collecting has been transformed into a mode of art making, whereby Dorothy incorporates objects and materials from her travels into her work.Dorothy Trojanowski / New York
is interested in genealogy and how WW2 has affected and evolved in the generations that followed… Participating in Falling Sideways, the creative outlets – be it booklets or found objects, scribbles or string knotting or elements that add to the narrative – are a cathartic process of acknowledging, honoring and respecting that common thread of the historic space.Eduardo Cunha / Lisbon
is the artist behind the labyrinthine string web room in Berlin’s AEG tunnel and is currently plotting the next immersive installation.Eleanor Lovinsky / New York
is one of this group’s original members with a special flair for finding useful artifacts in deteriorating buildings.Jakob Fälling / Kopenhagen
is a storytelling light artist, working with site-specific projections on buildings in public spaces. His works often center around documentary themes and he uses drawing as his prime medium. He works and lives in Denmark but his recent works have been shown in various European countries.John Law / San Francisco
has been an urban explorer since he was six years old. A formative member of the Cacophony Society, Law is also part of Dark Passage and was a member of the notorious pranks/street theater/urbex group The San Francisco Suicide Club. Cofounder of the Billboard Liberation Front and Burning Man, Law currently rides buses for free in his hometown of San Francisco. Website: johnwlaw.comJulia Solis / Detroit
has invented immersive adventure games since her early childhood in Germany, fueled by a belief in the transformative powers of absurd and otherworldly narratives. She has directed many site-specific events in ruined spaces, written several books, shared photos in exhibitions and publications worldwide, been profiled in e.g. Smithsonian Magazine & the New York Times, and co-founded a few art collectives in NYC and Detroit. Website: darkpassage.com.Kim Couchot / New York
is a multidisciplinary artist, teacher, project coordinator for creatives and resident pyrotechnician. She has created and collaborated on immersive, interactive art installations, performances and events with Madagascar Institute, Dark Passage and Ars Subterranea since 2003, as well as major fireworks shows worldwide. She designs and oversees light installations and creates site-specific installations.Leah Marino / Austin
has been a film editor for almost 30 years. Her projects have won an Emmy, multiple Peabodys, and awards at festivals such at Sundance and Sheffield DocFest as well as BAFTA and Independent Spirit nominations. When Leah isn’t editing independent documentary films she enjoys making, helping make, and consuming art across the globe.Lo Rose / Minneapolis
is a rolling stone that loves moss, actually. can be found scheming in the margins with a backpack full of pretty trash and humble artifacts, slingshot in hand, sing-songing the play-by-play and hyphenating words so they don't get lonely. can be found climbing to the top of the nearest vantage point with eyes wide. a fixer of things with dirty hands who'll try anything two, maybe 3 times, maybe lots. the map folded many times for them to make it to this moment and they're just happy to be here.Luc / Chicago
designs experiences that dissect our relationships with place; through the reutilization of gray spaces, his work recontextualizes the civic realm.Matt Rozensky / Detroit
is a new media artist and creative technologist based in Detroit. His work is shaped by an interest in how contemporary media environments affect our relationship with the world, each other, and ourselves. What began as an attempt to introduce simple visual elements into live electronic music performances has since evolved into a diverse practice encompassing projection mapping, immersive environment design, and interactive installations. A largely self-taught artist, he has developed his practice through constant experimentation, collaborative projects, and a continuous drive to explore new ideas. Website: www.instagram.com/mattrozenskyMïï Gunn / Detroit
is a poet of interstitial languages who dabbles in time travel and sensation collection. A true Virgo, Mïï glorifies the process and presence of a fleeting experience. They hope to one day reside in Detroit’s abandoned zoo. Sign up for poetic updates & Read More in the fake food blog: casadelacrema.comReshounn “Sun” Foster / Detroit
is a Spoken Word Artist and Cultural Arts Worker who has played a vital role in Detroit’s North End’s cultural preservation and redevelopment through storytelling curation, narrative strategy, and community arts production. She created the healing arts space Hip n Zen, and was a 2021 Fellow at the Highlander Research and Education Center. Sun is featured in award-winning documentaries and international exhibits, and continues to lead communications strategy with a deep commitment to joy, collaboration, and creative citizenship.Richmond Arquette / Port Townsend
is an actor and writer who has traveled extensively and enjoys the company of dogs and deer in WashingtonThelma / Minneapolis
is a skilled navigator of the passages between worlds.Tom Kirsch / Detroit
is an accomplished photographer and designer who also engineers found underwater artifacts into shipwreck curiosities. He has authored two books on historic state hospitals and his photos have been featured on PBS and in various other media. The planetary audio apparatuses, including the eidophone and telepathic lensball, are some of the outcomes of his production for Falling Sideways. He is also the web developer for Seafoam Palace and other sites.Tracy Gilman / New York
is an accomplished sculptor, ceramicist and costume designer.Contributing Artists and Exponents
Dietmar Arnold
BerlinDrew Feuer
New YorkEric Singer
New YorkGayle Snible
New YorkIngmar Arnold
BerlinJoe Ford
IaegerJoshu deLeon
San FranciscoLily Cruz
New YorkMarek Choloniewski
KrakowMike Whalen
ProvidencePersephone Hopper
BaltimorePhat Man Dee
PittsburghShel Kimen
DetroitSusan Dundon
ChicagoSpecial Thanks
Thelma’s Merry Gaggle of Mousers, Marek Choloniewski, Jason & Jonas Cruz, Eva Westphal and the luminous crew of Berliner Unterwelten e.V.