Research

In 2007 the Adam Art Gallery initiated an ongoing research project investigating the history of and exploring the intersections between sound and art: Sound Check.

The series has been developed to complement the Adam Art Gallery exhibition programme with performances taking advantage of the empty gallery at the time of exhibition changeovers, commissioned works that extend the reach of the gallery beyond the building and variously scaled exhibitions that focus on discrete aspects of this diverse field. It will create opportunities for artists to produce new work, taking advantage of the auditory potential presented by the Adam Art Gallery and its environs as a space where sound as a medium can be explored, and for audiences to extend and deepen their knowledge of the field.

The idea for the series resulted from a recognition that the rich history of sound/art in New Zealand has never been examined or surveyed and an awareness of the diversity and energy of the current scene where a host of artists coming from various backgrounds are exploring a varied sonic landscape that spans the worlds of art, experimental music, and the performance and alternative music scenes.

The Adam Art Gallery is dedicated to advancing critical debate about the visual arts. As a university art gallery it is particularly concerned to extend discussion of the visual arts by exploring their intersections with other disciplines and by constructing informed historical frameworks for new thinking. Sound Check is intended to meet these ambitions.

This programme focus has resulted in a number of performance and sound installations including Wired for Sound, Sound Circuit, and Deep Listening . Various exhibitions have explored the complex history of art and sound in New Zealand including Play On and Object Lessons. The most recent initative is the Sliding Doors project where sound installations set within the space between the double set of sliding doors of the Adam Art Gallery activate the gallery’s front entrance through the medium of sound.

If you are interested in finding out about this project or are an artist working with sound please contact adamartgallery@vuw.ac.nz