Performance: Mountains

Presented in collaboration with nothing is precious, everything is game, a midcareer survey of the collaborative work of Houston-based artists Stephan Hillerbrand and Mary Magsamen, currently on view at FotoFest.

Mountains is an experimental live-cinema performance by Hillerbrand+Magsamen+Lynn exploring the cyclical nature of human experience. Using a nonlinear narrative structure inspired by the ancient “crankie” visual device, Hillerbrand and Magsamen physically control a scroll of backlit paper while Kirk Lynn narrates, manipulating time by slowing, speeding, pausing, or reversing the story as it unfolds. The performance is interactive as the audience participates in the unfolding narrative, shaping the journey up each metaphorical mountain.

This innovative approach reflects life’s uncertainty, with the trio occasionally cutting away parts of the narrative to add improvisation. The performance challenges traditional storytelling expectations, creating an immersive, collaborative experience where visual art, live narration, and audience participation blur boundaries. The result is a dynamic journey that mirrors the fragmented, nonlinear ways we experience time, memory, and personal growth.