Subsonic: sound art in the bunker

Begins May 2008

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"Sound art is to music what abstraction is to traditional painting."
Bruce Russell

One of the more challenging art forms, sound art is increasingly relevant in contemporary art practice. In today's world we are increasingly bombarded with a variety of sounds, particularly in cities where there is a constant hum of noises that we often no longer notice.

Sound art encourages us to pay attention to noise: to think about how we listen, and to experiment with new ways of listening. It might make us ask, What is that sound? How is this noise organised?

And what makes this art? Just as Marcel Duchamp's urinal became art by virtue of being placed in a gallery, so can the noise of, say, guitar feedback or a two-minute silence or an artist's heartbeat, if presented as an object of aesthetic contemplation.

There are many facets to sound art, including live improvised performances using electronic and acoustic instruments and objects, field recordings capturing the live sounds of natural and manufactured environments, or sound installations as a component of a visual work. Recordings may be manipulated in studios or on computers, where artists use a variety of effects and technology such as cut-up, loops and delays to enhance their sounds.

Take the time to listen to the Subsonic programme and engage in a new way of hearing 'noise'.

View The Subsonic Programme »