How do physical objects help us remember, and why do we keep so many of them even as they weigh us down? Ben is an eccentric inventor and hoarder, and has saved pieces of every project he’s ever worked on— but when he’s forced to move out of the house where he’s lived for 50 years, the treasures of his basement get thrown into storage units, where they become the center of a struggle that comes to define a family. A fusion of radio documentary and experimental music theater, A Mess of Things is a new work that blends interviews that sound artist Adam Tinkle recorded with his family members together with his poetry, songs, videos and live music into an exploration of memory, hoarding and the difficulties of divesting. Rich with sonic detail, A Mess of Things layers sounds and images which move fluidly between intimate storytelling (think This American Life) and chaotic sonic texture (think Negativland). For fans of the Books, Laurie Anderson and Robert Ashley.
