From Our Forefathers
2026
Deadstock satin fabric, polyester thread, webbing, wood, elastic cord
580ft x 24ft x 6ft
Commissioned for WhatNow: 2026 arts festival in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Independence Seaport Museum, and the Science History Institute. Offered by appointment
From Our Forefathers is a trio of tours through iconic Philadelphia museums to tell the history of the climate crisis. Aislinn Pentecost-Farren guides participants through America’s outsized contribution to climate change through a sequence of encounters with objects that were present at the origins of the crisis, from Indigenous dispossession through the industrial revolution. Pentecost-Farren re-narrates existing exhibitions in some of our Philadelphia Museums to reveal the unseen origins of climate change hidden within accepted historical narratives. From a stove made by enslaved ironworkers to an oil painting of a steam turbine, Pentecost-Farren attempts to understand catastrophe by starting at the beginning.
Explore the history of climate change through Philadelphia’s museums. Guide Aislinn Pentecost-Farren underlines America’s outsized contribution to this crisis through a sequence of encounters with objects that were present at its origins, from a stove made by enslaved ironworkers to an oil painting of a steam turbine. This project encourages a fresh look at existing exhibitions, revealing the unseen origins of this impending catastrophe hidden within accepted historical narratives, from Indigenous dispossession to the Industrial Revolution.
Lynne Calamia - Curator
Pierre Lacombe - Stress Test Technician
Heidi Ratanavanich - Installation Technician