49” (2024)

Video-documented performance exploring minimal intervention as it relates to the action of singing.

The most integral part of a musical work is typically assumed to be the sound. When a singer performs a song, they take a deep breath and allow the melody to reverberate through their vocal chords. Now, what happens if the singer does the opposite? 49" is an exploration of what becomes of a performance when the singer holds in their breath and leaves the audience listening in silence. It plays on the idea of expectation and anticipation, analyzing how one small change can completely alter a larger body of work. The number 49" represents the amount of time Henriquez held her breath during the duration of the performance, a nod to John Cage’s “4’33””.