Wednesday Walkthrough: In Cold Print

About

Wednesday 4 March 2020, 6pm

Nottingham Contemporary

Free

Join Nottingham Contemporary for a Wednesday Walkthrough – a gallery tour where artists, researchers and curators share their unique perspectives on the exhibition.

In this walkthrough, Cédric Fauq, Exhibitions Curator at Nottingham Contemporary, and auditory scientist Christian Sumner discuss their collaboration with the artist Sung Tieu for the exhibition In Cold Print. The conversation expands on the impact sound can have on the brain, ears and to physical and psychological well-being by exploring "Havana Syndrome". Reported from late 2016, Havana Syndrome describes a phenomenon where US embassy staff reported hearing high-pitched sounds, ultimately manifesting in brain injuries, and was believed by President Trump's administration to be a sound weapon. The talk explores media coverage and scientific research, and shares insights into how Tieu exposed herself to an acoustic reconstruction of the supposed sound weapon to record her cerebral activity, which features within the exhibition.

Free. Drop in. Gallery seating and hearing loops are available.

Christian Sumner is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. He became interested in how the brain processes sound because it could do what computers could not: we effortless perceive separate "auditory objects", to understand a single talker amidst the noise of modern life. Sumner seeks to understand how the brain performs this task, often by building computer simulations.