Waterloo Park Debuts a New Video Art Installation 

Past Deposits from a Future Yet to Come, an exciting new video art installation on view at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, explores Waller Creek’s storied past.

Past Deposits is an artistic depiction of a collection of artifacts found during archeological digs in areas of historic Waller Creek that had previously flooded. The installation is the brainchild of internationally recognized artists Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler, who are professors of art and art history at The University of Texas at Austin (UT). The exhibit, which will continue for the next five years, was commissioned by Waterloo Greenway.

The artists spent a year studying everyday objects that were hidden away in storage in the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at UT.  The installation brings the objects to life on a grand scale, honoring the lives of those who once called the Waller Creek area home.

Brightly colored, animated artwork — imagine a collage of salvaged buttons, plates, coins, marbles and keys — is projected onto the 16-by-120-foot rear wall of the Moody Amphitheater stage. Hubbard and Birchler paired the video with a musical score by renowned New York composer Alex Weston. Park visitors can stream the music on their mobile device while viewing the multimedia installation.

Through their work, Hubbard and Birchler’s goal is to show how history, social life and memories intersect. “It has been exciting to consider this place through its historical traces of presence and absence — giving equal weight to what has remained and what has been washed away over the course of thousands of years,” the artists said.

The free multimedia showings begin an hour after sunset and continue until the park closes at 10 p.m., except on evenings when a ticketed concert or other special event is scheduled. Free community programs focused on Past Deposits will coincide with the installation’s tenure at Waterloo Park. Plan your visit with the park’s nightly schedule.  

Article courtesy of Waterloo Greenway. Images courtesy of Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler, Past Deposits from a Future Yet to Come, 2024. Installation view, Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, Austin, TX. Commissioned by Waterloo Greenway, Austin. Photo: Kevin Todora.