Raven Chacon, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné artist, recently performed at the Park Avenue Armory, using a mix of everyday objects to create a haunting, improvised soundscape. Each item served its own purpose, from whistles to a ceramic horn, layered to form a sci-fi symphony. Chacon spoke about the role of location in his work, repurposing tools associated with colonial violence, and his upcoming show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which will incorporate naturalist histories and Lenape culture. Despite the sounds of sirens and traffic, Chacon manages to weave a sonic narrative that transports listeners to quieter, more serene environments.

Chacon explained, 'I wish I could say I was responding to the Armory [laughs]. When I’m playing in the city, I tend to bring in more field recordings of the outdoors, of wind and other sounds from other places. A lot of these were gathered where I'm from in New Mexico. While not site-specific to the Armory in this case, I find myself incorporating those more indoors, amongst the other things that encroach upon the interior of the space.'

'That was certainly a consideration. Also, with that show, there were a lot of works about the actual ground. That installation was situated at the entry, but immediately, you have works by Edgar Calel, Ana Mendieta, these works that involve soil and dirt. I wanted to reference that with that piece. And as you move through, you have these different interactions with different materials and visual concepts happening throughout the show.'