Surface Tension

Project Description

A few months ago, the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum commissioned ten Savannah-based artists to create site-specific installations that explored the idea of a “ghost ship.” Each artist selected a distinct location for their work; many gravitating toward the museum’s contemporary North Garden, while others embraced the historic character of the Scarbrough Garden. The resulting installations were unveiled during a two-day public celebration of light and sound titled Ghost Voyage.

As I began conceptualizing my contribution to the event, I sought to collaborate with an artist whose practice could complement my design intent and help shape a shared visual language. I reached out to Patrick Kuhnmuench, a fellow SCAD alumnus and accomplished motion designer whose accolades include recognition as a contributing finalist at Digital Graffiti in Alys Beach and features in Design Miami. After several weeks of working together to distill the core ideas behind our approach, we arrived at the following artist’s statement:

Surface Tension

Kirkwood | Kuhnmuench

2025

foam, nylon, metal, light

“A vision suspended between calm and collapse. The ghost ship emerges not as vessel, but as feeling—fear adrift in endless silence. Layers of mist and motion blur into one trembling moment before disappearance. This body of work captures that fragile threshold: when presence becomes absence, and the weight of unseen peril presses against the surface, waiting to break through.”

Photo contribution by Zach Waller