Call for Artist Submissions
"the urban+nature sonic pavilion"
Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago
The sonic dimension of the urban environment is a rich tapestry: nowhere else are the noises of animals, machines, people, trees, and the elements interwoven so incidentally, and yet so intensely.
This more-than-human soundtrack is produced by every neighborhood, street corner, parkway, and back alley. And it can reveal the earthly voices embedded in the sonance of the city, if only we stop to listen.
The “urban+nature sonic pavilion” will engage artists to create a series of soundworks that explore these auditory entwinements. Comprised of 8 -10 compositions, and showcased on the world-renowned latticed speaker system of the Pritzker Pavilion at Chicago’s Millennium Park, this audio program will invite the public to actively listen to the nature rooted in the urban — and reconsider the false notion that one cannot be part of the other.
Taken together, these works will help deconstruct urban and natural dichotomies and subvert hierarchies to explore how the city pulses with a highly distinctive sound habitat, accessible to everyone, and worthy of our attention.
Submission deadline: March 1
Completed soundworks due: May 15
Approved submissions will represent a roster of local and inter-national artists, with the full group installation planned over two full-run special events in Chicago, late Summer, 2024.
Individual pieces may also be included as part of other high-attendance events to be held on Millennium Park’s Great Lawn.
All selected artists will receive a minimum of $1K for their participation as well as support from the expert sound engineers of Experimental Sound Studio to help optimize their work for the Pritzker Pavilion’s unique multi-channel sound lattice.
This exhibition is curated by Giovanni Aloi and Chris Hunter of the AntennaeProject, a leading international peer-reviewed publication on the subject of nature in contemporary art, in collaboration with Experimental Sound Studio (ESS), an innovative global hub for sonic experimentation, and sponsored in part by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
Submissions Due March 1
Submissions must include:
01
A one-page proposal
...describing your intended “urban+nature soundscape” and explaining how your piece interprets the intersection of the natural and built environments through sound (Completed works must be 7 minutes or less)
02
Sound references
...that help dimensionalize your proposal. These might include source files you intend to use, a sound sketch / scratch track of your concept, or soundworks you have created previously that will help us understand your intended approach
03
A bit about you
...such as a link to your website/CV/ examples of existing work
Please submit your proposal to sonicpavilion@gmail.com no later than March 1, 2024