10 sound art exhibitions to look forward to in 2025
Do you want to get your ears blown off? Billie recommends these 10 sound art exhibitions taking place in Belgium & Europe next year
Seintel on kõrvad
Exhibition and performance programme Seintel on kõrvad (English: ‘Walls Have Ears’) takes place at Estonia’s largest art center, ARS Art Factory, including works by Nika Schmitt and John Grzinich.
🗓 Until 28/02
📍Tallinn (ES)
SLOW (36H)
“The slower the experience, the more intense the memory” is the baseline of a 2-day festival on (musical) slowness, with besides music from the contemporary classical field (Jürg Frey, Echo Collective, etc) , also some new sound installations and performances by Mariska De Groot, Anouk Kellner, Mihalis Shammas and Maria Komarova.
🗓 1 & 2/03
📍 Concertgebouw Brugge (BE)
Proximity Music
Every year, Den Hague’s main adventurous music festival Rewire also features a multidisciplinary arts parcours spread over various locations in the old city. Curated by iii (Instruments Inventors Initiative), this edition has sound works by international trailblazers like Navid Navab, Zimoun, Aura Satz among others.
🗓 3 > 6/04
📍 Various locations, Den Hague (NL)
Hear Here
Belgium’s larges sound art exhibitions is back with 15 sound installations spread over the historic city of Leuven. On the occasion of KU Leuven’s 600th anniversary, this edition focuses on historical university buildings, such as an medieval water gate and an empty school. Besides new commissions by a.o. Els Viaene, Aernoudt Jacobs and Anouk Kellner, the exhibtiions also has a particular focus on historic sound art by pionieers like Dick Raaijmakers, Christina Kubisch or Susan Philipsz. There is also a live programme on 16 & 17/05 with Mark Fell & Limpe Fuchs, Leila Bordreuil, Cevdet Erek, etc.
🗓 24/04 > 9/06
📍 STUK & various locations, Leuven (BE)
Oscillations
Oscillations, organizes by workspace Q-O2, is Brussels’ main festival for sound performances and experimental music. The 4-day line-up includes many international names such as David Toop, Jana Winderen, Sylvia Tarozzi & Deborah Walker, but also Belgian gems like Amber Meulenijzer, d’Incise and Nele Möller.
🗓 1 > 4/05
📍 4 venues in Brussels (BE)
Feel The Sound
Feel the Sound with Barbican’s bold new multi-sensory exhibition experience that explores our relationship to sound and embraces a world of listening. With a spatial audio programme in collaboration with 4DSOUND studio MONOM and works by artists such as Evan Ifekoyan, Nicole L’Huillier with Sarah Mackenzie.
🗓 22/5 > 31/8
📍 Barbican Centre, London (UK)
Struer Tracks
Struer Tracks is a biennial for sound and listening in the public space of the province village of Struer. It is organized by the Sound Art Lab. Last year’s edition had works by Max Eilbacher, Amber Meulenijzer, Thomas Ankersmit, among others. Looking forward to the announcement of the 2025 programme!
🗓 14/8 > 16/8
📍 Struer (DK)
Biennale Son
Every two years, the marvelous valley of Sion in French-speaking Switzerland becomes the stage for a large scale sound art exhibition, with newly commissioned sound works in the public space and heritage locations such as castles or an impressive old water power factory. Would absolutely recommend this one!
🗓 30/8 > 30/11
📍 Sion & Valais region (CH)
Klang Moor Schopfe
International sound art in a unique setting: originally used for agricultural purposes, sedge barns will be used by the invited artists to create site-specific audiovisual installations. The barns are scattered across the high moorland of Gais and can be ‘hiked’ on a tour. Supporting programme with artist talks, performances, soundwalks, guided tours, etc. First programme information: Spring 2025
🗓 4 > 14/9
📍 Gais (CH)
Venezia Biennale Musica
Curated by Caterina Barbieri, the upcoming Venice music biennale will see a monumental automated pipe organ by French-Belgian minimalist composer Maxime Denuc, besides live shows by Laurie Spiegel, Suzanne Ciani & Actress and SUNN O))).
🗓 11 > 25/10
📍 Various locations, Venezia (IT)
KIKK Festival
Spread over various locations in the cozy Walloon capital of Namur, KIKK festival focuses on media art, innovation and technology. This year’s edition will have ‘sound’ as the central theme.
🗓 23 > 26/10
📍 Various locations, Namur (BE)