Sound Art

What is sound art?

Sound art is an intermedia art form that relies primarily (though not exclusively) on sound in its execution. Works classified within this genre take the form of sound sculptures, sound installations, musical performances and other (media) art works that incorporate sound. Works of sound art do not necessarily have to be experienced through sound, but may also engage with sound as a concept, reference or medium – in other words, as part of our everyday world. Sound art also specifically encompasses the creative exploration of (everyday) noises.

Like other art forms, artistic works in the field of sound art engage with aspects of everyday social coexistence. This encompasses, in particular, acoustic ecology—that is, the sonic relationships between living beings and their respective habitats— sonification, that is, the conversion of quantitative data and measured processes into sound, and, more generally, the critical reflection on contemporary socially relevant themes such as the digitalisation of our everyday lives, the engagement with artificial intelligence, machine learning or bioengineering, and, more generally, the handling of contemporary as well as historical media of knowledge exchange.