Clarissa Tossin: Before the Volcanoes Sing

Released on the occasion of the film’s inclusion in the 2024 Whitney Biennial, this episode of On Production looks back at the creation of artist Clarissa Tossin’s Mojo’q che b’ixan ri ixkanulab’ / Antes de que los Volcanes Canten / Before the Volcanoes Sing at EMPAC, which took place over the course of a three-year period. EMPAC’s Video Engineer Ryan Jenkins talks with artist Clarissa Tossin and her Director of Photography Jeremy Glaholt about the process of producing the project. They discuss elements of the cinematography; the creation of set elements such as a reflective pool used in the film; and the technical and creative challenges of shifting from a small studio practice to working with a large crew.

Mojo’q che b’ixan ri ixkanulab’ / Antes de que los Volcanes Canten / Before the Volcanoes Sing takes a sonic approach to the articulation of architectural borrowings by Western architects of indigenous cultural motifs, utilizing 3D-printed replicas of Maya wind instruments from Pre-Columbian collections held in US and Guatemalan museums.