Jen Valender

CLEARFELL 2025

Clearfell documents the transformation of an antique ABC TV satellite tripod into an Aeolian harp, a sculptural instrument activated by the wind. The materials used reflect the site’s layered history as a former clearfell logging tramway, referencing archival photographs. Harp bow horsehair and a brass amplifier materially echo the harnesses of these horse-drawn trams, while steel elements mirror the fittings used on timber trolleys, and salvaged wood recalls the felled Otway forests. The film features a performance between harpist Genevieve Fry and the sculpture, offering audiences a cinematic experience of the dynamic interplay between performer, artwork and site. In Clearfell, the wind becomes both performer and sound-maker, collaborating with live performers in an ephemeral exchange of sound and movement. The project renders the intangible—air currents and harmonic frequencies—tangible, fostering deep listening to the airscape and landscape.

Image: Jen Valender, Clearfell 2025, still from single channel, colour film. Courtesy of the artist.