When Architecture Stops The Wind

Body Matters | Norwich University of the Arts

In Ojibwe teachings, spirit is present in all things—bodies, the land, water, air, and the stars. Spirit isn’t a single entity but exists in all living things. The physical body is only a small part of this broader existence, not the start or end of life. In North America, architecture has a defined beginning and end: the land is broken to build, and structures are dismantled, sending materials to landfill. Reconciliation between contemporary architecture and Ojibwe teachings could support decolonization, where architecture bridges both physical and spiritual connections to all living things. An original short film explores the making of a traditional jingle dress and the healing movements of dance, connecting spirit to the body outside of architecture. It captures a spatial installation that reunites cultural clothing and the body with the wind and spirit of ancestors within contemporary architectural spaces.