Britni Bicknaver
City Under Exposure
City Under Exposure (Installation View), Plexiglass Exhibition Cases, Vinyl, Re-Printed Found Photographs, Audio collage, Dimensions Vary, 2022
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Utilizing our collective archive from the Cincinnati Public Library, City Under Exposure explores natural disasters that have affected our community. Eight photographs captured by citizens of Cincinnati represent some of the most extraordinary moments from 140 years of the city's past. From the devastating floods of 1883 and 1937 and the tornados of 1969 and 1974, these historical images capture the (un)common experiences that can sometimes evade the vernacular.
In addition, unique soundtracks (accessed through QR codes found on the cases) bring these static visual artifacts to life. By immersing the viewer into past lived experiences, these moments in time can give new generations of Cincinnatians a new perspective and connection to a place they thought they knew so well.
City Under Exposure: Blizzard of 1977, Plexiglass Exhibition Case, Cut Vinyl, Re-Printed Found Photograph, Audio Collage, Dimensions Vary, 1 min. 20 sec., 2022
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Special Collections
Special Collections (accompanying information card—front and back), Audio Instillation, 42 min. 11 sec., 2022
The Mercantile Library, Cincinnati, Ohio
Special Collections (2022), an unorthodox audio tour of Cincinnati’s famed Mercantile Library, takes listeners on a contemplative journey through the institution’s collection. Focused through an anthropological lens and presented in the form of a ten-chapter audiobook accessed through a QR code, this piece surveys the human epoch—from the myths of our creation to the realities of our impending demise. Couched within this investigation is an acknowledgment of the most significant mark humanity will leave behind: our collective knowledge.
Special Collections, Interlude: Gee (Video Substitution for In-Person Experience), Audio Installation, 2 min. 39 sec., 2022
The Mercantile Library, Cincinnati, Ohio
Special Collections, Chapter 1: In the Beginning (Video substitution for in-person experience), Audio Installation, 2 min. 39 sec., 2022
The Mercantile Library, Cincinnati, Ohio
Soundtracks For Gaul
Soundtrack for Tombeau De Jovin (Installation View), Appropriated and Native Audio, 1 min. 31 sec., 2021
Musée Saint-Remi, Reims, France
Soundtracks for Gaul focus on three Roman artifacts from the Musée Saint-Remi in Reims, France. A tomb of a general, a head of Mercury from the facade of a temple and an Obelisk dedicated to the god Jupiter are all brought to life through custom made soundtracks. In Soundtrack for Tombeau De Jovin we hear a narrative of the life of Flavius Jovinus, a prosperous Roman general credited with many successful military campaings. In Soundtrack for Tête De Mercure we are confronted with the Roman god Mercury who is animated with breath as we look into his 1,700 year old eyes. And lastly, Soundtrack for la colonne de Jupiter recalls its former position marking a natural spring and the changing of seasons to reference the god unto which it is dedicated. The context has changed for these objects—once revered for their sacred power now revered for surviving time. The soundtracks attempt to activate the imagination of the museum’s visitors as they look at evidence of their city's former life.
Soundtrack for Tête De Mercure (Installation View), Appropriated and Native Sound, 1 min. 40 sec., 2021
Musée Saint-Remi, Reims, France
Soundtrack for Tombeau De Jovin, Appropriated and Native Audio, 1 min. 31 sec., 2021
Musée Saint-Remi, Reims, France
Audio Tour
Audio Tour, Charging Station, 2017
The Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Audio Tour disguises itself as a conventional museum audio tour for Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center. Visitors receive a media player, headphones, and an information card. But unlike a standard audio tour, Audio Tour ignores the exhibits on display. Instead, it addresses philosophical, historical, and universal ideas and information, framing the CAC in alternative ways.
By juxtaposing the story of the land on which the museum sits with its present-day appearance—its modern facilities, idiosyncrasies, employees, and other inner workings—the piece strives to aurally frame the museum in its specific time and place. Audio Tour seeks to synthesize the past, present, and future of the CAC.
Audio Tour- Introduction, Video Supplement for Audio Piece, 2:39, 2017
The Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio