A Chant is a site-specific installation representing a graphic documentation of how one artist’s life and art fused in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center. It is a continuation of a previous project [Swi:t] Home.

On September 11th, 2001 Elena del Rivero’s studio-home located at 125 Cedar Street, in what later became known as Ground Zero, experienced extreme damage due to the attack and collapse of the World Trade Center.

3,150 pieces of paper were salvaged from the floors of her studio-home. These papers flew in from corporations located at the World Trade Center. She collected them, cleaned them, numbered each of them and photographed them. Proper names found in these fragments of paper were burned. All of them were finally stitched together with silk and pearls – Elena’s own working materials - that were also found scattered and buried in the dust over her studio’s floors. The work was accomplished over a period of five years.

Installation of CHANT is accompanied by a sound installation by Lawrence D. Morris “Bring Light” composed for the piece

A Chant, Installation View

2008

Home Suite: Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, July 9th 2008.

Curated by Sarah Newman

A Chant, Installation View

2006

At Hand: Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia.

Curated by Elizabeth Finch

Photographed by Juan Garcia Rosell

A Chant, Installation View

2006

At Hand: Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia.

Curated by Elizabeth Finch

Photographed by Juan Garcia Rosell

A Chant, Installation View

2007

A Mano: Trabajos sobre papel, Patio Herreriano, Vallodolid, Spain.

Curated by Elizabeth Finch

Photographs courtesy of the museum.

A Chant, Installation View

2007

A Mano: Trabajos sobre papel, Patio Herreriano, Vallodolid, Spain.

Curated by Elizabeth Finch

Photographs courtesy of the museum.

A Chant, Installation View

2019

An Archive of Dust, Naves Matadero, Madrid

Curated by Mateo Feijóo

Photographed by Pablo Gómez-Ogando Rodríguez

A Chant, Installation View

2019

An Archive of Dust, Naves Matadero, Madrid

Curated by Mateo Feijóo

Photographed by Pablo Gómez-Ogando Rodríguez

A Chant, Installation View

2011

Presented in the lobby gallery of The New Museum, New York, NY, to commemorate the upcoming tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11, 2001.

Photographs by Bradford Robotham

A Chant, Installation View

2011

Presented in the lobby gallery of The New Museum, New York, NY, to commemorate the upcoming tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11, 2001.

Photographs by Bradford Robotham

A Chant, Installation View

2021

The Archive of Dust: An Ongoing Project, Es Baluard Museum, Palma de Mallorca

Curated by Mateo Feijóo

Photographs by David Bonet

A Chant, Installation View

2021

The Archive of Dust: An Ongoing Project, Es Baluard Museum, Palma de Mallorca

Curated by Mateo Feijóo

Photographs by David Bonet