What is sound? What does it mean to us, how does it impact us, and how does an artist create work within this medium?
Music is the Most Accessible Form of Art | Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Artists and contributors from The World Is Sound give us an inside look at the various aspects of this immersive medium. From a peek into their artistic process to a more experiential understanding of sound, their commentary examines how we can break down our sense of hearing and the multitude of ways sound can be created, analyzed, and perceived in the world around us.
These audio excerpts are presented in association with the exhibition The World Is Sound.
Are You Listening? | Christoph Cox
A contributor to Spiral magazine, sound expert and author, Christoph Cox illustrates differences between listening and hearing.
What Is Your First Sound Memory? | Select Artists and Contributors
As heard in the Rubin Museum elevators, featured artists and contributors look back to their first experiences of sound.
The Impermanence of Sound | Laetitia Sonami
Artist Laetitia Sonami helps us understand the ineffable qualities of sound and their intrinsic relationship to Buddhism.
Meeting Buddhism | Éliane Radigue
Pioneering artist Éliane Radigue describes the impact Buddhism has had on her artistic practice.
The Third Ear | Bob Bielecki
Artist Bob Bielecki describes the process of recording in natural environments and its relationship to our sensory experiences.
How Do We Listen? | Select Artists and Contributors
As heard in the Rubin Museum elevators, featured artists and contributors contemplate the various ways in which we listen and the ways listening can impact us.
Listening as Revolution | Hildegard Westerkamp
Artist Hildegard Westerkamp considers how the act of listening can relate to activism.
Political Spaces | Jules Gimbrone
Artist Jules Gimbrone discusses how artistic practice is being affected by the 2017 political climate, particularly towards trans issues in the U.S.
I’m a Woman, I’m a Sound Artist | Laetitia Sonami
Artist Laetitia Sonami highlights the role that gender plays in the world of sound art.
Sonic Replay | Ernst Karel
Artist Ernst Karel gives insight into his beginnings in sound art and the moment his approach to it changed.
Supernatural Sounds | Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Artist Robert Lowe shares an anecdote that asks us to consider the question, Is sound a ghost?
Buddhism And LSD | John Giorno
Artist John Giorno describes how he first realized the ways in which an individual could work with their own mind.
You Can’t Listen Away | Daniel Neumann
Acoustic designer and artist Daniel Neumann illustrates the important function and potential dangers of designing sonic spaces.
You Can’t Close Your Ears | Miya Masaoka
Contributor Miya Masaoka reminds us that the field of sound art is relatively new in the world.
Is Time Linear? | Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Artist Robert Lowe details his artistic process, including composing for the notion of a future sound.
Sounds in Space | Carter Emmart
Artist Carter Emmart describes how sound can be translated in space.
Does a Sound Wobble? | Nate Wooley
Artist Nate Wooley’s artistic response to the question, “What is the sound of the creation?” asks us to consider the ways we are all interconnected.
What Is a Drone? | Christoph Cox
A contributor to Spiral magazine, sound expert and author, Christoph Cox illuminates the artistry of the drone.
Give Drones a Chance | Christoph Cox
A contributor to Spiral magazine, Christoph Cox challenges us to stop and listen.
It All Started with OM | Carter Emmart
Carter Emmart, Director of Astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural History, explains how the universe was believed to begin with OM.
Music Is the Most Accessible Form of Art | Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe helps us begin to understand the nature of sound by understanding our own bodies.
Working with Eliane Radigue | Nate Wooley
Artist Nate Wooley gives us an exclusive perspective on what it is like to work with the innovative composer Eliane Radigue.
Go with the Flow | MSHR
The artist collective MSHR encourage us to consider sound in the ways we might think about large bodies of water.
First Generation Voice | C. Spencer Yeh
Artist C. Spencer Yeh tells us how his own biography plays a role in his approach to working with sound.
Power, Sexuality, and the Voice | Samita Sinha
Artist Samita Sinha encourages us to find our own power within ourselves and our voices.
A Visually Dominant World | Jules Gimbrone
Artist Jules Gimbrone contemplates what a world would look like if we didn’t privilege the sense of sight.
What Will Be the Last Sound You Hear? | Select Artists and Contributors
As heard in the Rubin Museum elevators, featured artists and contributors answer the challenging question, “What do you think will be the last sound you hear before you die?”
This exhibition is made possible through the generosity of HARMAN. Major support is provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and Rasika and Girish Reddy. The Rubin also thanks Preethi Krishna and Ram Sundaram and contributors to the 2017 Exhibitions Fund.
