2004
In the Artforum online symposium "Sound Art Now" (April 2004), moderated by Christoph Cox, Max Neuhaus is central to the debate over the definition and legitimacy of "Sound Art" as a distinct genre.
The "Art Fad" Critique: While Neuhaus did not participate as a panelist, his influential stance was a primary point of discussion. He famously dismissed the term "Sound Art" as a marketing "art fad," arguing it does no useful work in refining artistic distinctions and instead groups unrelated practices under a single medium.
The symposium contributors used Neuhaus’s work to discuss whether sound art is merely music repackaged for an art market that prioritizes visual objects.
Ontology of Sound: Moderator Christoph Cox used Neuhaus’s practice to argue for an "ontological" distinction—viewing sound art not as music, but as a way to engage with the "auditory unconscious" and the spatiality of the environment.
The symposium included insights from figures such as Anthony Huberman, Branden W. Joseph, David Toop, Marina Rosenfeld, and Stephen Vitiello.