Semi-Tropic Spiritualists Test Site No. 3: The Search For Open Ground was first staged as part of Shangrila 2013: Burrito Deluxe in Joshua Tree.
Its a breezy fall afternoon in Monterey Park at the Vincent Price Art Museum on the campus of East Los Angeles College, where Astri Swendsrud and Quinn Gomez-Heitzeberg stand shoulder to shoulder in black blazers and pants - shes fair, her hair drawn up in a grey kerchief; hes bearded, burly, and bespectacled. On the lapels of both their blazers hang the same insignia - a rectangular strip of red ribbon. Both clutch a pamphlet. This is the text that will lead their performance, a spiritual s ance of sorts. The symbols are all in place: the divination tool - a skeletal, rectangular box set on its end, open to the wind with a swaying pendulum inside; a pyramid; and a fire.
Swendsrud and Gomez-Heitzeberg lead the crowd in a call-and-response chant of high-moral recitations: Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate. Still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait. The words are from a text by Andrew Jackson Davis, one of the primary founders of the Spiritualist movement that emerged in the middle of the 19th century. Swendsrud and Gomez-Heitzeberg are more than five years immersed in the study of the Spiritualists work and writings. They are in an ongoing personal artistic project that is about uncovering and resituating a local past activated by communities like the Spiritualists, where faith and its failed utopias are intertwined. Their performance-based experiments offer a place of opportunity to think about the mechanics of spiritual life anew - in terms of community, metaphysical truths, devotional and moral practice.
Just west of Elysian Park, at the corner of Riverside Drive and Allesandro Street, up a grassy incline and back amongst the sycamores are the ruins of the original Semi-Tropic Spiritualist encampment of Los Angeles. Long ago, at the bucolic edge of L.A. where the red line stopped (which is now the neighborhood of Silver Lake), residents would take weekend excursions for recreation, camping and - for a time in the early 20th century - participate in a wildly popular type of spiritual retreat replete with seances, workshops, and lectures by mystics and moral guides (other spiritual groups and their pilgrims gathered at the Riverside Drive site as well during that time). The Spiritualist movement started in 1849 in New York and made its way west through the 1880s. But as it moved towards California, it was dying back east, weighted down by charlatanism and controversies. Business was good for the Spiritualists in Los Angeles from about 1903 to 1915, but the movement left behind very little trace or legacy locally, leaving an obscured understanding of cultural consequences or after effects from the Southern Californian arm of the movement. Preachers the likes of Jackson Davis, however, wrote quite extensively about Spiritualism as a whole, and remnants of the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists do exist today. For the most part, though, the movement was over by 1930.
Swendsrud discovered the Spiritualist movement while researching female mediums of the early 1900s, from a feminist perspective. These women could go into places of privilege and speak with authority because they were transmitting someone elses voice, she says. Gomez-Heitzeberg, Swendsruds co-collaborator and husband, was also fascinated by the concepts of the movement. They were both astonished at the dearth of evidence left by L.A.s Spiritualists despite finding a significant amount of detail about the larger national movement. And when they found that they lived near the original Spiritualist settlement in Silver Lake, says Gomez-Heitzeberg, We were both so excited about a project based on it. We said, Were going to fight about this if we dont do it together.
Semi-Tropic Spiritualists Test Site No. 3: The Search For Open Ground was first staged as part of Shangrila 2013: Burrito Deluxe in Joshua Tree.
Swendsrud and Gomez-Heitzeberg met at the California Institute of the Arts where they received their masters degrees in fine art. They had collaborated together briefly before 2013 - but since then, their Semi-Tropic Spiritualists project has consumed them both. They continue to research the local metaphysical and spiritual past as they travel to visit the vestiges of other somewhat related mystical groups and sites (Harmony Grove, a Spiritualist community in Escondido, and Lomaland, a Theosophist center in San Diego, are a few) whose combined mission towards spiritual enlightenment and attempts at self-sufficiency are at the core of Swendsrud and Gomez-Heitzebergs interests.
We were both exploring ideas of mysticism and our own faith and belief and we needed a structure, the STS story and its history, in a very specific place, gave us a historical background but one that we couldnt really find that much out about, so we borrowed their name, and established ourselves continuing their investigations. But he and Swendsrud arent just re-activating the old groups ideas, he adds, Were making our own symbolism and making our own connections to history, spirituality, and place.
Semi-Tropic Spiritualists Test Site No. 2 was first staged at the Vincent Price Art Museum.
One of our favorite moments so far was at the Vincent Price Museum, Swendsrud says. That particular performance, Semi-Tropic Spiritualist Test Site No.2, featured the pair reading Spiritualist texts and asking the audience to participate by chanting a response after each. It was about building our own fire and our own camp - a space for a shared search for knowledge, Swendsrud says. As the texts were read, they pieced together a nested set of wooden pyramids. With each new level, candles were lit and placed into holders within the structure. As the pyramid grew, so did the
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Semi-Tropic Spiritualists Test Site No. 3: The Search For Open Ground was first staged as part of Shangrila 2013: Burrito Deluxe in Joshua Tree. 
