I'm fascinated by Hollywood Cemetery, one of the oldest rural garden style cemeteries in the country, located in Richmond, VA. (I also recorded a radio piece about the history of the place.) It's packed with unusual trees, critters, and, of course, dead people, many of whom were Confederate soldiers. Jefferson Davis is also buried there.
Shortly after the war, in 1869, Richmonders hauled enormous granite blocks from the James River and built a pyramid at Hollywood to honor their fallen. This uncanny structure, and the 18,000 Confederate graves surrounding it, are reminders of Richmond's history as a city of hospitals during the Civil War.
I also came across some 1930's-era recordings of old Confederate veterans performing the "rebel yell." The real rebel yell had nothing to do with "yee haw." It was a terrifying sound, intended to chill the enemy's blood. To me, it sounded exactly like the cries of a fox. (Here's a radio piece by Peter Solomon.)
With samples of the rebel yell, foxes, artillery, and field recordings, I created a five-channel audio piece and installed it inside the pyramid at Hollywood. Speakers were tucked into the cracks of the stones, transforming the interior of the pyramid into a resonance chamber. The structure of the piece is based on the number 1869.
Check out images, audio, and video of the project.