“Perhaps the strongest example of the object’s awakening through its relationship with the wearer is Collective Effervescence: necklaces that hang as silent objects on the gallery wall. They come alive when worn, each producing a different percussive pitch, from a gentle shhk-shhk to a clamorous click-clack depending on the wearer’s shape and movements. Worn collectively, there is potential to generate a rhythmic sonic experience or even a cacophonous crescendo.”

Tryphena Cracknell, 2026, Vanessa Arthur: of Awe and Wonder. Courtesy of Te Whare Toi o
Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery.