Monday 24 May 2010

River Sounding

River Sounding - Bill Fontana 


I went to a wonderful exhibition this week in London called River Sounding. A sound installation that creates an acoustic journey through the hidden sound worlds of the River Thames.
The exhibition's creator, Bill Fontana is one of the world's leading sound artists. He installed the exhibition in the vaults of Somerset House, giving a very atmospheric appeal to the work. The Thames once flowed into Somerset House, which in itself is an architectural oasis in the heart of London, and well worth a visit.
I really recommend seeing this exhibition. It's unusual! I came away feeling how in an extremely visual society, we forget how much sound plays an important part in our everyday world. We are often taught that anything we can see and touch are the things that exists, that are true. This exhibition offers a conceptual alternative, reminiscent of Platonic philosophy, that anything the eye can see is a surface appearance, behind which is a complex matrix of substance and reality.
15th April - 31 May
Admission Free