Duration: 56:00
2010
Whitney Museum of America Art
What Should A Museum Sound Like? was performed live as part of the performance series “Live on 5 Songs”, staged on Martin Kersels’ “5 Songs” as part of the 2010 Whitney Biennial.
What Should a Museum Sound Like? is a site-specific work and performance that samples from a text written in 1963 by Marcel Breuer, the architect for the Whitney Museum. Working with a voice actor, the Breuer text describing his vision for the Whitney Museum, was recorded. The floor plans and elevation drawings of the Whitney Museum were converted into a series of sounds using a composition and sound design program. The spoken word and floorplan-generated sounds were mixed live utilizing the stage and speakers in the Martin Kersels’ installation.
In addition, a digitally modeled speaker cabinet in the form of the Whitney Museum’s building was also used in the performance. The performance and audio composition progresses through eight sections integrating and breaking down the spoken word, with the sounds generated by the floor plans. Sections five and six incorporate music samples and a performer appears out of the audience and steps up on the stage and dances, and walks across where I am performing utilizing Kersels’ stages.