Adrien Broom’s Mythical Murmurs, A Magical Installation at the Flo Gris, Old Lyme

Mythical Murmurs is a fantastical installation at the Florence Griswold Museum created by local photographer and artist Adrien Broom. I’ve been a fan of Adrien’s work for years and never seem to get enough. Her surrealistic, magical, and complex stagings for her photographs bend the mind, and you’re left wondering how she does it. So, of course, I rang her up and asked!
Curious about her process to produce her elaborate sets, she explained that she dreams up a concept and then works through what she wants it to look like. After sketching and fully designing her idea, her team builds the set. Then, she shoots friends and models within and the human interaction produces the magic you see in her photographs (and she does not use AI in her work!).
This exhibit ties neatly into the Museum’s annual Wee Faerie Village. Adrien created a mammoth mushroom circle called a fairy ring. These occur naturally in the forest and, according to ancient folklore, are thought to inspire spontaneous dancing. Here, the visitor is invited to enter the ring and become the tiny fairy among the giant mushrooms. Adrien’s musician husband, Nico Chiotellis, has arranged a score that becomes louder the longer you remain in the ring, hence the inevitable dancing!

Adrien’s work has a solemn side, as well. As she says, “It’s not all rainbows and sparkly things. Imagination is both dark and light.” The images surrounding the installation depict the forest around her home in Guilford throughout the seasons. These are quiet and contemplative. Beastie, a mythical creature born in Adrien’s busy mind, makes an appearance in another piece.

For the past seven years, Adrien has collaborated with Martine Chaisson Gallery in New Orleans to produce Dreamscapes Portrait Studio. These extravagant installations are for commissioned work and overtake an upstairs ballroom. Local families have made it an annual rite. We’re hoping for an opportunity here (her studio is in New Haven) in the near future!

The Wee Faerie Village exhibit is a rare chance to get to know Adrien Broom’s work, all of which sparks the imagination. I took a deep dive on her website, and you’ll want to, too: https://www.adrienbroom.com
If you’re thinking about a weekend in New Orleans (Avelo starts direct flights from New Haven in November), you may also like: https://the-e-list.com/a-weekend-at-the-hotel-peter-paul-in-new-orleans/