--- title: "Where the Questions Live: An Exploration of Humans in Nature" date: 2018-10-22T00:00:00-04:00 author: Caroline Herr canonical_url: "https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/where-the-questions-live-an-exploration-of-humans-in-nature" section: Exhibitions --- Past Exhibition # Where the Questions Live: An Exploration of Humans in Nature On view January 16, 2021 to January 2, 2022 [Become a member](/membership) Today's hours: 10 am–5 pm Monday 10 am–5 pm Tuesday Closed Wednesday Closed Thursday 10 am–5 pm Friday 10 am–5 pm Saturday 10 am–5 pm Sunday 10 am–5 pm ## A curiosity-driven, format-bending romp with artist Wes Sam-Bruce. The exhibition, *Where the Questions Live,* adventurously investigates the connections, metaphors, and experiences of human beings within the natural world. Best known for his immersive, story-saturated exhibitions, Sam-Bruce creates a site-specific, multi-sensory, installation at PEM that functions as an enveloping world within a world. This exhibition also features an original soundscape, scored by award-winning composer Ruth Mendelson. The installation in The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center is the culmination of a year-long exploration (Sept '18-Sep '19) that utilized a mobile studio, walking adventures, poetry, meditations, education programming, and artmaking as well as an online archive that chronicled the year and the project. The public is invited to take part, both through on-site programs at PEM and by participating in the project online, as well as exploring behind the scenes via the archive at [wherethequestions.live](https://www.wherethequestionslive.com/). Share your impressions with us on social media using #WTQL *Where the Questions Live* is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. This exhibition is made possible in part by the Applied Materials Foundation and the W. Bradford Ingalls Charitable Foundation. The East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum and members of the Art & Nature Committee also provided generous support. ![](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/wysiwyg/applied_lgo2.png) **Media Partner** ![](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/wysiwyg/whereTraveler_loLK.png) ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_1.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_2.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_3.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_4.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_5.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Mel Taing/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_6.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Mel Taing/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_7.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_8.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_9.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* artmaking. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ![Wes Sam-Bruce Where the Questions Live mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/images/Exhibition_WTQL_3600px_10.jpg) Wes Sam-Bruce *Where the Questions Live* mobile studio. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola/PEM. ...whatever your age, you'd need to lose all sense of wonder to not be moved by the delicate, sensate array of objects assembled here." — The Boston Globe ...the warm embrace of mystery and enigma, and a depth of feeling that trembles the soul." — The Boston Globe ### Virtual Tour Click to embark on a 360° tour of *Where the Questions Live*. Just click on the rings to move throughout the space and use your mouse or keyboard to zoom in/out and to look all around. ### Artist Interview Meet the artist and find out more about *Where the Questions Live.* ### Gallery Tour with Artist Laura Kathrein Go on a virtual tour of *Where the Questions Live* with movement artist Laura Kathrein, who also appears as "The Storm" in the exhibition's film: *Great Blue*. ## Keep exploring ![The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/ANC_1800_Share.jpg) Learn The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center [Learn more](https://www.pem.org/the-dotty-brown-art-nature-center) ![Lives lived curiously](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/Blog_LivesLivedCuriously_1800_Share.jpg) Blog Lives lived curiously 5 min read [Read now](https://www.pem.org/blog/lives-lived-curiously) ![Blog Planning Pod 1600 5](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/Blog_PlanningPod_1600_5.jpg) Exhibition The Pod Ongoing [Learn more](https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/the-pod) ![Spaces big enough for questions](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/Blog_SpacesBigEnough_1800_Share.jpg) Blog Spaces big enough for questions 5 min read [Read now](https://www.pem.org/blog/spaces-big-enough-for-questions) ![Bats! exhibition](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/Ex_Bats_1800_SHARE.jpg) Past Exhibition Bats! September 9, 2023 to July 28, 2024 [Learn more](https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/bats) ![Konstantin Dimopoulos: The Blue Trees](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pem-org/general/Ex_BlueTrees_1800_share.jpg) Exhibition Konstantin Dimopoulos: The Blue Trees Public Art Installation [Learn more](https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/konstantin-dimopoulos-the-blue-trees) Stay up to date. Enter your email to sign up for our newsletter.