ALL AROUND THE ROOM - HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE - on view through Nov 2025
All Around the Room is an immersive installation that endeavors to bring the vision of a 19th century Shaker sister to life. In 1837, fourteen year old Ann Maria Goff, of Watervliet Shaker Village, fell into a trance and received one of many visions in which she would tour the City of Paradise. Her account, transcribed by Shaker brother Isaac Newton Youngs, is among the first records from the Shaker Era of Manifestations. This was an exceptionally fruitful period, spanning roughly 1837-57, during which elaborate revelations from heavenly spheres were recorded by Shaker Instruments. Often messages were called “Gifts”, as they were ripe with precious celestial tokens from deceased Shaker spirits and other prophets. They were recorded in rare forms of writing, song, dance, ritual and colorful paintings now known as the Gift Drawings. The Shakers referred to this period as “Mother’s Work” since many corresponded with the spirit of their matriarch Mother Ann Lee.
In this installation, a hand-dyed, printed, and sewn quilt captures the first paragraph of Youngs’ transcription. A hypnotic arrangement of traditional squares presents the 4 rows of white and silver houses encountered by Goff in her vision. The complete manuscript includes visitations to many of these houses, and divine realms, including Goff’s encounters with an array of otherworldly beings and objects therein.
The rest of Molteni’s installation invokes the last paragraph, recorded by Youngs, in which Goff enters a room said to be “the first place Mother Ann came to after she left earth”. Inspired by her description, Molteni proposes an immersive theatrical staging space. Viewers can playfully imagine operating from the spirits’ side of the veil, behind which surroundings are viewed through “spiritual spectacles” and evocative symbols are projected for living Shaker Visionists. Colorful window collages that play with the Shaker concept of “borrowed” sunlight, cut paper treasures from iconic Shaker Gift Drawings, and calligraphic golden strokes of spirit writing are shown alongside Shaker artifacts from the museum’s collection. This pairing reinforces the Shaker desire to harmonize daily labor with worship as they build Heaven on earth.
