Matthew Leifheit: The Gay Chorus
The songs presented in this sound installation-as-recital are sourced from an archive of gay men’s chorus performance and rehearsal video recordings from the decade preceding the advent of highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART) for HIV/AIDS in the United States (1985–1995).
At the time of this installation, the artist Matthew Leifheit has preserved 46 hours and 22 minutes of performance footage, drawn from 53 VHS tapes digitized during 2023 and 2024 in archives spanning New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Washington, DC. Given VHS recordings’ inherently limited archival lifespan, much of the audio exhibits distortions and degradations resulting from the passage of time and the deterioration of magnetic tape.
The sound installation, No Time at All, conceived by Leifheit for the New York City AIDS Memorial, liberates long-unheard voices from archives in cities across the United States, uniting them in an hour-long recital that will loop daily throughout June 2025. Utilizing directional audio technology, the installation is meticulously designed to remain confined within the memorial structure, allowing the sound to drift subtly from overhead and envelop the space in a reflective auditory experience, a fitting reflection to happen during LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Role: Commissioner
Date: June 1—30, 2025
Location: New York City AIDS Memorial, New York, NY
Artist: Matthew Leifheit
