SOUND OF SILENCE
CODA MUSEUM
Vosselmanstraat 299, 7311 CL, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
September 14, 2014 - January 11, 2015
www.coda-apeldoorn.nl
- Truc-Anh - VN
- Jan Ros, Bertil Nilsson - UK
- Levi van Veluw - NL
- Raquel Maulwurf - SPN
- Hidenori Mitsue - JPN
- Sandra Kruisbrink - NL
- Rob Sweere Danaaoe - NL
- Gertjan Scholte-Albers - NL
- Ronald Bal, Ineke van Harten - NL
- Ruben Bellinkx - BE
- Uche Okpa-Iroha - NIG
- Regula Maria Müller - CH
Silence has become a rare commodity. Sound is everywhere; sometimes desired but often unwanted. Every day, people are overstimulated by sounds that place strong demands on all senses. In an environment that requires accessibility and availability, there is little room for the experience of peace and silence. The exhibition Sounds ofSilence in CODA Museum offers visitors the opportunity to escape the noise of daily life and to enjoy the silence in contemporary visual art. Sounds of Silence zooms in on the voice of silence, alternating experiences of sublimatedsilence, serene beauty and inner peace. Guest curator Wim van der Beekwas commissioned by CODA director Carin Reinders to put together a varied exhibition with works by 15 artists from the Netherlands and abroad.
Sounds of Silence reveals curious frictions between the sensation of sound and silence. For instance, a painting of a train thundering past or of an explosion witnessed from a great distance can invoke an unexpected hush. The sensation of overwhelming silence in nature is sometimes coupled with (natural) noises. The idyll of a waterfall is accompanied by the experience of water splattering incessantly, while the silence in an seemingly quiet environment can suddenly be brutally disrupted by a low-passing Boeing 737 or by loud tourists not featured in a painting. Generally, the total absence of sound is perceived as ‘absolute silence’. In other cases, it is subtle sounds that emphasise silence. Experiencing serene beauty and harmony can also stimulate the sensation of silence. In many cases, the voice of silence is synonymous with inner peace.
Various experiences of silence emerge on different levels. There is the silence of an empty interior in which a silent family sits at the table, like Vincent van Gogh’s potato eaters did at one time. The installation by Levi van Veluw is a precursor of three new films that will premiere inCODA Museum. Interior pieces crumble in slow motion without producing a sound. Similarly, the deafening noise of a bomb exploding is filtered out of a drawing made by Raquel Maulwurf. In the series Colliding galaxies she translates the silence of the universe into a cosmic experience. In a film by Ruben Bellinkx, humanity is literally silenced. Men hold up a solid table top between their jaws, making speech impossible. The sacred act transforms the space to a serene place where camera placement and penetrating clair obscur elements guarantee meditative moments.
