On the Edge of Perceptibility

SOUND ART

Opening: 17h October 2014
Artists will be present
Opening speech by Balázs KOVÁCS (XRC) philosopher, electronic musician
Concert by Thanos CHRYSAKIS – Christian KOBI – Christian SKJØDT – Zsolt SŐRÉS Quartet

Curator: Zsolt Sőrés
Concept: Lívia Rózsás Sound is a medium that has been increasingly gaining ground in the visual arts of recent decades, despite the fact that this, at the most basic level, seems to contradict the concept of visual art. The expansion of sound in time, and in its own abstraction, appears different from visual information that is organized into a single image or a sculptural work of art. The almost complete withdrawal of visuality makes for a markedly pronounced effect, even in comparison to such other time-bound genres as, for instance, performance or video art.

The structure of sound as a medium is elementary as its impact on sensibility is direct. In contrast to visual media sound is not suitable for the mediation of symbolic or metaphoric contents but drives the attention to basic questions such as perception. The exhibition plans to feature works that reflect on the confines of the senses, primarily focusing on the perception of sound. Műcsarnok’s exhibition spaces will house sound installations from recent decades, with the participation of Hungarian and international artists. Since offering an account of the history of sound art is not among the aims of On the Edge of Perceptibility - Sound Art, it has no ambition of establishing a historical timeline through the presented works. What we have in mind is a medium-specific – but also thematic – exhibition, which, in addition to the possible applications of the medium of sound in visual arts, also thematizes various aspects of how we perceive the outside world.

In Hungary, exhibitions exploring the role of sound in visual art and presenting sound installations have only been held sporadically. Thus, On the Edge of Perceptibility–Sound Art, offering Hungarian artists – some of whom are less known – an opportunity to introduce their work, while also presenting the latest artwork of a few international artists as well.