21:100:100

“When we separate music from life we get art.” - John Cage

This catalogue presents the exhibition which was part of the 2008 Melbourne International Arts Festival, 21:100:100 featured 100 works by 100 sound artists produced in the 21st Century. This exhibition was the first significant survey to explore and chronicle the extraordinary developments that have occurred in contemporary sound art in the 21st century.

Today, Sound Art and Experimental Music enjoy an infrastructure all of their own, with journals, labels, music festivals and websites devoted to its critical and creative discussion. This ambitious concept was developed with the premise that the foundations of both sound art and contemporary art share a similar spirit of enquiry and experimentation, and whilst the discussion of their relationship is a lively one, this exhibition proved the first to present such a breadth of sound work to Australian audiences within a gallery context.

21:100:100 was developed by Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces in collaboration with internationally acclaimed Australian artists Oren Ambarchi and Marco Fusinato. It included work made in the preceding eight years chronicling new directions and innovations in sound art. These works were played on 100 headphones suspended within the gallery, creating a space for the visitor to pick their way through sound art’s many and varied aural and conceptual evolutions.

As co-curator Alexie Glass has stated “Melbourne has always enjoyed an incredibly lively sound art community and has been a central site in the investigation and presentation of sound art in a music festival context. 21:100:100 provides a truly unique and crucial opportunity to fully engage with sound art, and to trace it’s varied thematic threads, and innovative stylistic developments. It is the first exhibition of its kind and is one of the most important sound art exhibitions in Australian history.”

The exhibition spanned a range of threads and styles within the art form, featuring work by a diverse selection of the worlds leading practitioners with artists including: ¾ Had Been Eliminated [Italy] Lucas Abela [Australia] Oren Ambarchi [Australia] Natasha Anderson [Australia] Thomas Brinkmann Philip Brophy [Australia] Brothers Of The Occult Sisterhood [Australia] Neil Campbell [UK] Eugene Carchesio [Australia] Andrew Chalk [UK] Chicks On Speed [Europe] Rod Cooper [Australia] Corrupted [Japan] Martin Creed (Owada) [UK] Alvin Curran Dead C [New Zealand] Jim Denley [Australia] The Donkey's Tail [Australia] Kevin Drumm [USA] Fennesz [Austria] Robin Fox [Australia] Cor Fuhler [Netherlands] Ellen Fullman [USA] Marco Fusinato [Australia] Alistair Galbraith [New Zealand] Bernhard Gunter [Germany] Will Guthrie [Australia] Keiji Haino [Japan] Florian Hecker [Germany] Joyce Hinterding [Australia] Kanta Horio [Japan] Ryoji Ikeda [Japan] Incapacitants [Japan] Jandek [Usa] Philip Jeck [UK] Rolf Julius [Germany] Junko [Japan] Kemialliset Ystavat [Finland] Christina Kubisch [Germany] Kuupuu [Finland] Alan Lamb [Australia] Graham Lambkin [UK] Annea Lockwood [Europe/Nz/USA] Francisco Lopez [Spain] Alvin Lucier [USA] Sachiko M [Japan] Lionel Marchetti [France] Christian Marclay [USA] Masonna [Japan] Maher Shalal Hash Baz [Japan] Mattin (Basque) Merzbow [Japan] Gordon Mumma Muura [Australia] Toshimaru Nakamura [Japan] New Blockaders [UK] Phill Niblock [USA] Hermann Nitsch No Neck Blues Band [USA] Jerome Noetinger [France] Jim O’rourke [USA] Optrum [Japan] Paeces [Australia] Charlemagne Palestine [USA] Paul Panhuysen [Netherlands] Pateras/Baxter/Brown Pita [Austria] Francis Plagne [Australia] Stephen Prina [USA] Eliane Radigue [France] Tom Recchion [USA] Rizili [Australia] Steve Roden [USA] Keith Rowe [UK] Runzelstirn + Gurgelstock [Switzerland] Philip Samartzis [Australia] Marcus Schmickler [Germany] David Shea [Australia/USA] Skaters [USA] Snawklor Michael Snow [Canada] Sonic Youth [Usa] Ssl (Robbie Avenaim/Dale Gorfinkel) [Australia] Striborg [Australia] Taku Sugimoto [Japan] Sun City Girls [USA] Sunn O))) [USA] Akio Suzuki [Japan] Yasunao Tone [Japan/USA] Toshiya Tsunoda [Japan] Voice Crack [Switzerland] Brendan Walls [Australia] Scott Walker [UK] Chris Watson [UK] Ralf Wehowsky [USA] Whitehouse [UK] Otomo Yoshihide [Japan] Richard Youngs (UK) Z'ev (USA)