Matthew Leifheit: The Gay Chorus
Overview
Conceived specifically for the New York City AIDS Memorial during LGBTQ+ Pride Month, The Gay Chorus: No Time at All was an immersive sound installation-as-recital by artist Matthew Leifheit. The work liberated long-unheard voices sourced from an archive of gay men’s chorus performance and rehearsal video recordings from the decade immediately preceding the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the United States (1985–1995).
Project Context & Curatorial Role
As Commissioner, I worked with Matthew Leifheit to realize this auditory installation, transforming the memorial's physical canopy into a resonant space of historic presence, collective memory, and reflection.
The underlying archive comprised 46 hours and 22 minutes of performance footage, painstakingly preserved by Leifheit from 53 magnetic VHS tapes digitized across major archival collections in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Washington, DC. Because of the limited physical lifespan of magnetic tape, the audio retained subtle distortions, warps, and degradations—converting the physical decay of the archival media into a poignant material layer of the soundscape.
Utilizing precision directional audio technology, the installation was meticulously engineered with Powerhouse Arts to contain the sound within the footprint of the memorial structure. Looping daily throughout June, the sound drifted subtly from overhead, enveloping visitors in an intimate, hour-long choral recital that restored these vital historical voices to the public sphere.
Role: Commissioner
Date: June 1—July 17, 2025
Location: New York City AIDS Memorial, New York, NY
Artist: Matthew Leifheit
