2000
On December 11, 2000, sound artist
Max Neuhaus delivered a lecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London. In the lecture, entitled The Place of Sound in Design, Neuhaus elaborated on his pioneering work and his central thesis that auditory perception is as crucial as visual perception in defining our experience of space. He argued that the physical design of a space and its sonic environment are deeply intertwined.
The lecture
- Focus: The talk centered on Neuhaus's work and his approach to sound, architecture, and design.
- Key ideas: He challenged the traditional dominance of the visual in architectural design and emphasized the need for a more holistic consideration of the built environment. He argued that sound is not merely an effect within a space but an integral element that can shape and define it.
- Sponsor: The event was sponsored by the Lisson Gallery in London, which had a long history of representing experimental and conceptual artists.
- Audience: The lecture was delivered to students and faculty at The Bartlett School, one of the world's most prestigious schools of architecture, helping to introduce Neuhaus's ideas to a new generation of designers.
- Recording: A video recording of the 31-minute lecture is archived in the Max Neuhaus Papers at Columbia University's Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Neuhaus's philosophy of sound and space
Neuhaus's presentation at The Bartlett School distilled decades of work and exploration, beginning in the late 1960s, that moved beyond the confines of music into the realm of site-specific sound installations.