29 January 2015
The Noise at Toi Pōneke
Low Noise2 is the second group exhibition to feature six Wellington-based sonic artists to showcase their work in the medium of
sound installation. Combining sound composition, sculpture and engineering, the result is a truly unique art-form that
makes sound the focus of our perception through conceptual and physical mechanisms.
Along with the exhibition’s curator and artist Jason Wright, artists include Mo H. Zareei, Blake Johnston, Paul Mathews,
Richard Robertshawe, and Timothy J. Barraclough: all are graduates or current students of the New Zealand School of
Music (NZSM) Sonic Arts programme, known internationally for its innovative approach to the art form.
The first Low Noise exhibition premiered in Wellington’s Parliamentary Gallery in 2012. Low Noise2 brings a new range of installations closer to the Cuba arts quarter at Toi Pōneke Gallery, exposing ‘multi-sensory
works’ that blur the lines between sound-design and visual art.
Feeling the need to bring this inventive art form into the public eye, beyond the academic circle, Wright’s Low Noise project provides an opportunity for up-and-coming Wellington-based sound artists to share their work.
“I’m passionate about bringing this art-form to a wider audience,” he says. “I feel there is some really interesting
work being made, and it’s good to see pockets of energy for this work emerging all over New Zealand.”
Continuing a strong tradition and culture of experimental Sonic Arts practice, Low Noise2 expands and enlivens an established body of local work in a global context, with a distinctly New Zealand flavour.
Arts Adviser, Jodie Dalgleish says, “Wright’s Low Noise project was selected for the way it draws attention to Wellington’s sonic heritage and pioneers such as Douglas
Lilburn, and the way it enriches Toi Pōneke’s multi-art form programme.”
The works of this exhibition range from Zareei’s mechatronic sound sculptures, to Johnston’s custom-made wooden
instruments, and Wright’s multimedia panels that create an enveloping experience for the audience.
Low Noise2 opens at 5.30pm on Thursday 12 February 2015 at Toi Pōneke Gallery, 61 Abel Smith Street. A performance will be held at
Toi Pōneke on Saturday the 28 February at 2pm, featuring artists from the exhibition and special guests.
To find out more about the artists you can check out their websites:
ENDS