ALEX H NICHOLS
LUNG
2020-2022, 2025
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BREATHE?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE OUT BREATH TAKEN AWAY FROM US?
LOOKING AT THE UNIVERSALITY OF BREATH, LUNG, LIFE.
Project LUNG was developed in 2020/2021 during Alex’s residency at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California.
Driven by the circumstances that were happening around the world at that time, and in response to COVID, California WildFires, George Floyd and Alex’s own mothers rare disease which hardened the lung; Alex chose to look closely at the core function of breath as life. What does it mean to breathe? What does it mean to have breath taken away from us?
Alex recorded the breath of the Artists in residents, staff members and close community at 18th Street Arts Center. Restrictions and care because of the lockdown heightened the intensity of the action. Each person was brought to a white cavernous room. The boxes were set up in the center of the room. Alex built boxes that would fit someone sitting. 29”x 32” x 34” The box enacted a ribcage.
Both video and audio recordings were made with the goal of observing the subtle movements of each person's body as they inhaled and exhaled. As well as the sound of each person's breath.
Breath is critical to life, it is occurring in each of us at all times, it is what unifies every human being on the planet. Yet real questions around what it means to breathe came to the forefront in 2020 and continue.
What does it mean to breathe is synonymous to—
what does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have our breath taken away from us? This project quietly responds to the situations and experiences of COVID, George Floyd, and the California fires.
Isolating breath allows us to experience the healing effect of witnessing both the fragility and strength of a person's breath.
