Susan Philipsz’s Mythical Symphonies

‘Whenever I enter a space that I am considering working with, whether it is a gallery or museum, a cistern in Italy or a silo in Brandenburg, I call into the space to measure its acoustics,’ says Susan Philipsz in the press release for her solo exhibition, ‘Slow Fresh Fount’, at Konrad Fischer Galerie. Characterized by its cathedral-like rooms and glass façade, the converted transformer station is an ideal venue for the artist, whose work explores how sound can sculpt our perceptions of space.

Audible long before they are visible, two interlinked sound pieces (Slow Fresh Fount and Separated Silos, all works 2021) make full use of this acoustic potential. Located, respectively, on the first and second floors of the gallery, both works draw on Ben Jonson’s poem ‘Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount’, spoken by the mountain nymph Echo in his satirical take on the myths of Ancient Greece, Cynthia’s Revels (1600). According to legend, Zeus commanded Echo to distract his wife, Hera, by regaling her with stories while he pursued other women. On discovering this betrayal, Hera punished Echo by leaving her with the ability to repeat only the last words spoken to her. When Jonson’s poem was later set to music as a madrigal, it was composed to be sung in four vocal pitches: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Philipsz abstracted the original composition by singing and recording every note, focusing more on the site-specific echoes they produced than on the melody’s integrity. Through speakers placed atop a set of black oil barrels in the centre of the first-floor gallery, the timbres of the artist’s voice form an orchestral polyphonic loop that resonates through the otherwise empty space.

Climbing the creaking metal stairs to the second floor, I notice my own footsteps echoing in tandem with the melodies enveloping the gallery like a call and response. Separated Silos – three conical, white-painted silos hung from the ceiling of the second-floor gallery – are the source of these remote acoustics, which acts as a companion piece to Slow Fresh Fount. A speaker placed inside each silo multiplies Philipsz’s voice, which resonates through the cavernous bodies of these hulking, industrial forms. Even though the silos are considerable in size, their appearance is less imposing than the mesmerising sounds they emit. Not unlike a conversation, the sonic correspondence between these singing giants creates a sense of intimacy, opening up a space for private reflection within the public arena of the gallery.

The mezzanine area between these two floors is dedicated to a series of screen-printed canvases in various shades of blue (‘Slow Fresh Fount I–V’). Immersed in a saline solution to seal in the layers of colour with salt crystals, the works’ blue hues compound the melancholic atmosphere induced by Philipsz’s powerful laments. While most of the canvases are abstract, two are imprinted with fragments from Jonson’s poem: Slow Fresh Fount – Our Beauties and Slow Fresh Fount – Are Not Ours. This particular line, ‘our beauty is not ours’, further connects the two-dimensional pieces with the sonic works, since its melody is the only moment at which all four pitches simultaneously erupt into a symphony, audible throughout the entire building. As one of the first exhibitions I saw after the easing of lockdown restrictions, ‘Slow Fresh Fount’ invoked – through Philipsz’s resonant, enveloping voice – the intimate conversations so sorely missed during this long period of isolation.

Susan Philipsz's 'Slow Fresh Fount' is on view at Konrad Fischer Galerie until 17 July.

_{Main image: Susan Philipsz, Slow Fresh Fount - Our Beauties and Slow Fresh Fount - Are Not Ours, both 2021, installation view. Courtesy: the artist and Konrad Fischer Galerie; photo: Roman März}

_{Thumbnail: Susan Philipsz, Slow Fresh Fount, 2021, four channel sound installation and six steel barrels, dimensions variable. Courtesy: the artist and Konrad Fischer Galerie; photo: Roman März}