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Another Present: three life-sized wooden ShapedSound™ sculptures

Commissioned as part of the summer programme at Modern Art Oxford (MAO), Boundary Encounters, Another Present is an intimate listening experience, combining sonic works by women artists from MAO’s archive, audience data and field recordings. The sound work reverberates through wooden sculptural forms, inspired by shapes created by the artist’s body. The work incorporates, and celebrates, previously commissioned audio works by artists Sarah Kenchington, Ann Liselgaard and Hannah Rickards from Modern Art Oxford’s archives.

We commissioned Julie to create an audio work that used data from our archives as part of our group exhibition Boundary Encounters. Her response was to create physical pieces that embodied sound and encouraged touch. We loved how Another Present invited intimacy from the gallery visitors and interactions were full of curiosity and joy as they experienced sound works in a new way. The three sculptures created an atmosphere, yet the soundscapes didn’t interfere with other artworks in the space, they are beautiful objects and were a wonderful part of the show.

– Paul Hobson, Director of Modern Art Oxford

Touchable, audible experiences created for the Fellows Park.

A series of five Shaped Sound™ sculptures were fabricated for the TED2024 Conference in Vancouver, B.C. They were displayed in the Fellows Park space at the conference, which is hosted by the TED Fellows program.

The sculptures invite you to touch, hold, lie and lean on their surfaces, using them as vessels to listen to soundscapes or music which resonate through your body. The wooden sculptural forms are fitted with audio ‘exciters’ to propagate sound frequencies through the material, including infrasonic (or low-frequency) sounds, which can help regulate your nervous system from a sympathetic (fight or flight) to a more relaxed parasympathetic state. Inspired by shapes created by the artist’s body, the sculptures use sound works from archives and collaborating artists, and data sonifications designed specifically for the objects.

Collaborating artists:

• Meklit Hadero
• Blinky Bill Muthoni
• Drummer Queen
• Joshua Roman
• Kayla Briët
• Tharanga Goonetilleke
• Eric Berlow
• Julie Freeman

At TED2024, we showcased a collection of five Shaped Sound sculptures designed by TED Fellow and artist Julie Freeman. These stunning sculptures offered an engaging audio and tactile experience for attendees. They were customized to broadcast specific sounds created by other Fellows through touch. They created a perfect spot for attendees to slow down, relax, and fully engage with our community in a unique way.

– Allegra Pearl, TED Fellows Leadership Team