Announcing In the Sun’s Absence, an exhibition by Jason Livingston with Phoebe Cohen

Squeaky Wheel is pleased to announce In the Sun’s Absence, a public art project and exhibition led by artist Jason Livingston in collaboration with Phoebe Cohen (Chair and Associate Professor of Geosciences, Williams College). Timed with the 2024 Solar Eclipse, and featuring haiku’s installed on public signage, sound art, video, print work, and sculptural projects, In the Sun’s Absence asks audiences to contemplate how “in the sun’s absence, we have a chance to notice its significance.”

The project draws from Livingston’s public and environmental art practices and Cohen’s research into deep time. Livingston and Cohen have a shared interest in the Earth’s systems and the fact that the fossil fuels that run our economy are the preserved products of ancient photosynthesis. Through Livingston’s art works, audiences will reflect upon the foundational importance of our sun and its encompassing impact on the history of the Earth and humankind. This project was selected and has been generously supported by the Simons Foundation as part of their In the Path of Totality project.

Ahead of the exhibition, audiences in Buffalo are invited to participate in a haiku workshop led by Livingston and Cohen on January 31. Beginning in mid-February, audiences will be able to see public art installed on signage across our city. Read the press release here and stay tuned for more information.

Public programs

Wednesday, January 31, 6–8 pm
Eclipse Haiku workshop for youth and adults with Jason Livingston and Phoebe Cohen. Click here to learn more and register.

Friday, March 22, 6–8 pm
Opening of In the Sun’s Absence, with brief remarks by Livingston and Cohen at 7 pm. Catering by Ali Baba Kebab provided.

Monday, April 8, 2–4 pm
Eclipse viewing party at Squeaky Wheel. Solar viewing glasses and refreshments provided.

Biographies

Jason Livingston is a media artist, filmmaker, and educator. His award-winning films have been widely exhibited at festivals and museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Media City in Canada. He is currently researching histories of extractive cinema and abolitionist re-imaginings of our shared world as a Presidential Fellow in the Department of Media Study, University at Buffalo.

Phoebe Cohen is a paleontologist, geobiologist, teacher, and science communicator. Her research focuses on understanding the interactions between life and the earth system in deep time by integrating micropaleontological, geological, and biological lines of evidence. Phoebe is an Associate Professor at Williams College, where her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA. She is also the co-host of the forthcoming podcast Jax and Phoebe Make a Planet, and an advocate for inclusion and equity in the earth sciences and beyond.

About the Simons Foundation

The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.

Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement. We believe in asking big questions and providing sustained support to researchers working to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Through our work we make space for scientific discovery.