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Arts & Communication Sound and cross-cultural art in China since 1980s

tanks as a space for sound exhibitions. In addition to (2024) at the Museum of Sound Art in Beijing reflect the
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the oil tanks, Wang’s article requested spaces specifically increasing importance of sound art exhibitions in China,
designed for sound art exhibitions. where sound art has progressively become a standalone
The RPM exhibition presented works of sound art that theme in exhibitions.
encompassed themes such as urban sound culture, sound The aforementioned exhibitions have showcased the
mapping, the phenomenon of sound fragmentation, works of Chinese artists and featured sound art from
sound and oral narrative, the relationship between varied continents and cultural contexts, demonstrating
Buddhism and sound spaces, Chinese language and international trends and diversities in the development of
dialects, intimate sounds and heterogeneous spaces, Chinese sound art and its expositions. The scope of creation
social media, and the production of social sounds. The of Chinese sound art has also expanded and now includes
depth and breadth of these artworks represented the the technologies, experiences, manipulation, editing,
current state of sound art in China, even though space digitalization, visualization, and esthetic interpretation of
constraints prevent a detailed discussion of this aspect in sound. Chinese sound works are now exhibited alongside
the current paper. Yao Dajuin stated that “China has taken sound art generated across the world, resulting in a dialog
the results of the Western sound art revolution without between China and the West apropos their different artistic
going through the revolutionary process.” This exhibition concepts and historical contexts.
compiled and showcased the explosive development Like Jiang Zhuyun, Deng Yuejun graduated from
of sound art in China, a process that spanned only two the China Academy of Art and transitioned from ink
decades. painting to new media creation. Like Jiang, Deng is deeply

Revolutions Per Minute: Sound Art China marked the concerned with issues related to humanity, nature, and
1 time that sound art was integrated into China’s official technology and has conducted numerous experiments
st
exhibition system of contemporary art. It also evoked using media such as sound and light. In his work O (2016),
numerous important questions about the emerging Deng sampled the vowel “O” from 100 individuals and
domain of Chinese sound art. For example, a work titled recorded these sounds on 100 chips. The sounds were
Social Media Sound featured iPads and suspended speakers then embedded in 100 solar-powered “insects” labeled “O”
that played content from the social media platform PAPA that emitted the sound “O” in sunlight. The volume and
(a Chinese voice-sharing and audio social media platform). duration of the sound varied according to the intensity
This platform, using a Web 2.0 model of user-generated of sunlight and created a symphony-like effect. This work
content, made “everyone creating and producing sound” explored the interconnections between human beings,
a reality. The work posed new questions about the future nature, and technology and used sound as a metaphor for
of the most accessible ways of producing, listening to, and communication, energy, and environmental interactions.
consuming sound. The piece was later adapted into multiple versions suited
for outdoor exhibitions (Figure 16).
5. Sound exhibition communication in the The exhibition Lucid Dreaming: A Journey Through
global context: 2014–present Sound featured Chinese artist Samson Young’s work
Sound art has continued to develop in China in the
last decade; it has advanced and become increasingly
globalized. The “Festival Croisements” project (a
recurring cultural exchange event between China and
France) has organized two sound exhibitions, Listening to
Transparency (2017, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai)
and Lucid Dreaming: A Journey Through Sound (2024,
West Bund Art Museum, Shanghai). These expositions
were spearheaded and curated by Western teams and
can be considered representative examples of both the
achievements of Chinese sound art and the dialogs
occurring between Chinese and Western sound art in the
past decade. Exhibitions such as Listening to the Road:
Contemporary Sound Art Practice in China (2024) at the Figure 16. Deng Yuejun, O, granite, photovoltaic cells, custom chips,
Duolun Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai and Sound speakers, set of 100, overall dimensions variable, 2016, photograph
Retrospective: Sound Creation in Chinese Contemporary Art courtesy Deng Yuejun.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 10 doi: 10.36922/ac.4669