DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Branscom Chavaque, Community Member

Run Time: 1.37 minutes

Recorded by Branscom Chavaque, CultureALL Community Ambassador /

When I first saw this piece, it captivated me. It felt powerful—strong, yet simple. There’s nothing loud about it, no chaos or clutter. And yet, it holds so much. The red isn’t aggressive—it’s calm, composed, and quietly alive. It speaks without raising its voice. It doesn’t demand attention, but commands it. To me, it felt like standing beside someone who knows exactly who they are. It doesn’t need to be anything more than what it is. And that, in itself, is power.

As I stood longer, I began to feel something else. I noticed the pattern—rows of repeated forms, perfectly arranged. And I started to wonder: is this red a symbol of strength… or of suffering? From a distance, it feels whole, proud. But up close, the repetition becomes clearer—almost imprisoning. Could this be the quiet agony of living inside a pattern? The pain of a life that looks strong on the surface, but beneath it, is bound by expectations and roles?

Maybe that’s the beauty of it. That it holds both truths at once. The strength of knowing who you are… and the quiet sorrow of asking if that identity has been shaped by repetition. Still, there’s relief in its presence. A strange kind of peace. As if, for a moment, just standing next to it helps me exist more fully. And that’s enough.

 

DES MOINES SPEAKS

DSM Speaks are short audio reflections on artwork in our permanent collection, written and voiced by diverse members of our community. Contributors to this program were selected in partnership with CultureALL and the Des Moines Art Center. We hope by elevating these diverse ways of seeing we can encourage all visitors to connect more deeply and to see themselves and their identities within our walls.

DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Branscom Chavaque, Community Member

Run Time: 1.45 minutes

Recorded by Branscom Chavaque, CultureALL Community Ambassador /

Cuando vi esta pieza por primera vez, me cautivó. Se sentía poderosa—fuerte, pero simple. No hay nada ruidoso en ella, ningún caos ni desorden. Y, sin embargo, contiene tanto. El rojo no es agresivo—es calmado, sereno, y está sigilosamente vivo. Habla sin gritar. No exige atención, sino la impone. Para mí, fue como estar de pie al lado de alguien que sabe exactamente quién es. No necesita ser nada más de lo que ya es. Y eso, en sí mismo, es poder.

 

Mientras más tiempo pasaba frente a ella, empecé a sentir algo más. Noté el patrón—filas de formas repetidas, perfectamente ordenadas. Y comencé a preguntarme:

¿Es este rojo un símbolo de fuerza… o de sufrimiento? Desde la distancia, se siente completa, orgullosa. Pero de cerca, la repetición se vuelve más clara—casi como una prisión. ¿Podría ser esta la agonía silenciosa de vivir dentro de un patrón? ¿El dolor de una vida que parece fuerte por fuera, pero que por dentro está limitada por expectativas y roles?

  

Quizás esa sea su belleza. Que contiene ambas verdades a la vez: La fuerza de saber quién eres… y la tristeza callada de preguntarte si esa identidad fue moldeada por la repetición. Aun así, hay alivio en su presencia. Una extraña forma de paz. Como si, por un momento, simplemente estar a su lado me ayudara a existir con más plenitud. Y con eso, es suficiente.

 

DES MOINES SPEAKS

DSM Speaks are short audio reflections on artwork in our permanent collection, written and voiced by diverse members of our community. Contributors to this program were selected in partnership with CultureALL and the Des Moines Art Center. We hope by elevating these diverse ways of seeing we can encourage all visitors to connect more deeply and to see themselves and their identities within our walls.