American Aria

By: Kal Spelletich

In collaboration with Seamus Davis

Produced by  OA JET Productions

Run time 6 hours & 11 Mins.

(Screenings starts at 12 pm & 7 pm daily from November 1st - November 5th)

American Aria is a durational video installation created by multimedia artist Kal Spelletich which invites audiences to reflect on the transgressive nature of the insurrection that took place at our nation’s capital on Jan. 6, 2021. As our nation approaches one of its most consequential presidential elections in modern history, American Aria reflects on surreal and horrifying aspects of that day and calls upon us to remain vigilant in upholding democracy.

By revisiting this event through a curated sequence of footage and sound, the piece underscores the fragility of democratic institutions in the face of rising extremism. American Aria invites reflection on the possibility of history repeating itself and is underscored by contemporary political rhetoric that hints at future unrest.

This project is both a critique of and a reflection on the cultural and political moment surrounding the event. It reassembles footage from that day, public domain chat logs, and media broadcasts, distorting and recontextualizing these elements into a tragic-comedy-horror piece. Accompanied by an original soundtrack by Kal Spelletich and special guests, the work reflects on the insurrection’s significance and its potential implications for the future.

We invite you to share or show this work as much, as big, as loud, and as often as possible.