SALK INSTITUTE

The Salk Institute was founded by Dr Jonas Salk, credited with the polio vaccine. Dr Salk worked closely with architect Louis Kahn on this commission for this biomedical research institute.

This intervention is performed by actor Regan Linton, who has paraplegia beginning at the fourth thoracic vertebrae. The asymmetrical quality of her movement in contrast to the symmetry of the architecture motivated this performer-site pairing and this brought up interesting questions regarding the influence of Salk’s research on the building project.

Presented as a video, the footage was edited together with dancer and architect Shireen Talhouni. The video challenges the habitual response to the disabled body and heighten the viewer’s experiencing of gravity and its defiance.