Sound art is a unifying component between the Netherlands and Belgium. There is a vibrant field of hybrid art practices in which the exploration of sound takes center stage in various artistic and critical forms. From installation art and performances, to technological experiments. In these practices, collaboration across borders is common and has an impactful history. The exhibition Neighbouring Frequencies showcases the work of five artists who are exemplary of the interconnectedness and richness of sound art. Listening to their sculptures and installations, we learn about hidden dimensions of our environment and the relationships between landscapes, humans, and non-humans. The selection is a result of a collaboration between the Brakke Grond, the Amsterdam media art and music festival FIBER, and international arts center STUK in Leuven.
Els Viaene presents Vibrant Matter (2016), a kinetic sculpture in which the manipulation of paper leads to a grand, transformative landscape in sound. Floris Vanhoof’s installation Antenna (2022) is a modified grand piano that brings invisible electromagnetic waves to life. Oussama Tabti showcases Homo Carduelis (2022), an installation with more than thirty empty bird cages that play the rhythmic symphony of endangered goldfinches. In Zijlijn / Linea Lateralis (2021), Stijn Demeulenaere teaches us about the impact of human-produced sound on marine life in the North Sea. Amsterdam-based artist Luis Lecea Romera explores the ecological damage to the Iberian landscape and its intertwined historical and socio-political complexities with Antecâmara (2023).
Neighbouring Frequencies is free to visit from Thursday 30 May to Sunday 16 June. The festive opening will take place on Friday 31 May. The exhibition is part of FIBER Festival taking place from 29 May to 2 June in Amsterdam.
