2022; Research Exhibition
Approaching the Passetto—Kaskaskia, IL
I. Kaskaskia—The Vanished Metropolis—The Passetto
During the Great Flood of 1881, the Mississippi River diverted its path, causing Kaskaskia to become an island on the west side of the river. The remnants of Fort Kaskaskia remain on the eastern bluffs, with the river dividing the two. Portions of the original town now rest beneath the river. Only one road leads onto the island, crossing the former riverbed of the Mississippi. It crosses from Missouri, despite the town remaining part of Illinois.
[Sunrise]
Approach Kaskaskia. Cross the bridge onto the island. Note boundaries crossed (river, state border, levee, etc.). Note material composition of the place (water, compacted earth, corrugated tin, etc.).
Follow King’s Highway to La Grande Rue. Pass the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Kaskaskia Bell.
Approach the termination of La Grande Rue at the northern edge of the island. Stop at the levee and continue on foot to the Passetto.
Ascend the Passetto. Note the spiraling form. Observe the landscape dividing the island from Fort Kaskaskia, the breadth and force of the River.
Descend and observe the barren island.
Exit the island and continue toward Valmeyer. Cross the River and follow Bluff Road north.
[Intention]
At the termination of La Grande Rue, a Passetto spirals upward into the air, searching for connection to the eastern shore to which this island once belonged. From the top, the view looks across the Mississippi to the ruins of Fort Kaskaskia, now disconnected by the river.
Symbolically and visually connect the island of Kaskaskia to Fort Kaskaskia.
Offer a vantage point of the River, floodplain, and island.
Facilitate reflection on the force of earth (nature) against order (humankind).
La Grande Rue—Kaskaskia, IL
Ascending the Passetto—Kaskaskia, IL
The Passetto—Physical Model [Plaster, Wood, Wire, Paper, Foam, Gauze]
Site Context—Kaskaskia, IL
The Passetto—Physical Model [Plaster, Wood, Wire, Paper, Foam, Gauze]
Tracing Le Chemin du Rois
Le Chemin du Rois: A Self-Reflexive Procession through the American Bottomland—Installation View