Transmissions From El Shaddai

In 2019, multiple members of the communications department at a prolific Southern California university were contacted by a man claiming to be God. These attempts at communication continued to escalate until the authorities had to be contacted and the man told to stop. While most of these transmissions were not recorded, a few were saved, and subsequently repurposed as part of Matthew Fisher’s first solo exhibition, "Transmissions From El Shaddai."

In "Transmissions From El Shaddai," a series of sonic sculptures made from rusty sheet metal reverberate, filling the room with recordings of God and his followers. In the central work, "El Shaddai," silkscreened eyes emerge from the rusted surfaces. The wall-mounted sheet metal functions as a speaker, amplifying an erratic voice ranting about NASA, magic, and consciousness. The first ancillary work, "Egregore," consists of sheets of rusty metal adorned with screen printed faces emanating a chorus chanting alongside the words of God. In the second ancillary work, "Anima Mundi," the rusty sculptures are adorned with abstract screen printed patterns and from these emanates a deep humming tone.