Ensemble is a group exhibition of works that make sound, guest curated by artist and musician Christian Marclay, on view September 7–December 16, 2007. Marclay has been selected as the inaugural curator of the Katherine Stein Sachs CW’69 and Keith L. Sachs W’67 Guest Curator Program, a new initiative designed to bring outside points of view to ICA. Marclay is a leading figure in the worlds of performance, visual art, and experimental music.

Likening his approach to that of a composer, Marclay has chosen a variety of sculpture and installation based on their sound quality and compatibility to sonically inhabit the same large first floor gallery. Visitors are invited to interact with some of the works; others are triggered by motion detectors, or set on timers. The installation will create an ambient sound environment, intermittently producing a wide range of sounds, from the very quiet notes of a music box to the loud ringing of a bronze bell. They have been selected so that they can share the same resonant space and interact like the various instruments of a musical ensemble. It will include iconic works by artists such as Harry Bertoia, Yoko Ono, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, as well as new works by the current generation.

Whether it comes from sonic or video art, in the curatorial field sound is often relegated to isolated exhibition spaces where it cannot interact, or presumably disturb, other pieces. Marclay proposes to work against that impulse by intentionally intermingling pieces to see what may result when they are put together for an entirely unprecedented curatorial purpose.

This exhibition will be a listening experience, enhanced by a series of performance events, in which artists and musicians invited by Marclay will perform within the exhibition, reacting to the artworks’ sounds. The exhibition will be documented by a CD, featuring recordings of the installation and performances, in addition to a text by Christian Marclay.
Terry AdkinsDoug AitkenDarren AlmondJohn M. ArmlederFia BackströmHarry BertoiaCéleste Boursier-MougenotAngela BullochMartin CreedDavid EllisMineko GrimmerTim HawkinsonJim HodgesEvan HollowayPierre HuygheNina KatchadourianMartin KerselsJon KesslerKatja KölleChristian MarclayYoko OnoDennis OppenheimMichelangelo PistolettoPaul Ramirez-JonasCarolee SchneemannNoah Sheldon