The Rubin Museum’s (Mostly) Invisible Exhibition

The ancient Sanskrit phrase “Nada Brahma” loosely translates as “the world is sound.”  So when the Rubin Museum Of Art, which specializes in the Himalayas and Tibet, decided to do a sound installation, “The World Is Sound” seemed a natural title.  The idea that creation is held together by the energy, the vibration, of sound turns out to be a useful metaphor for a sound installation that wends its way up the Rubin’s famed six story, spiral staircase, tying together all the different galleries and displays.  The exhibition is a collaborative work featuring a slowly shifting web of low electronic tones, shot through with aural surprises that increase as you ascend to the top of the space.  WNYC’s John Schaefer visited the exhibition and spoke with curator Risha Lee, French composer Laetitia Sonami, and American sound designer Bob Bielecki.