Artist  Statement

How do you approach silence? Can you be alone and content in a city full of noise and people? Stereopublic (Crowdsourcing the Quiet), an attempt to both promote ‘sonic health’ in our cities and offer a public guide for those who crave a retreat from crowds, is coming to Sydney. It will recruit members of the public as ‘earwitnesses’. Can you find a quiet place in the city, silence in a crowd, a place of ‘accidental retreat’ in the built environment, down-time in a hectic space? To help preserve these quiet public spaces, contribute them to a collaborative ‘sound-map’. Via the project’s website (below) and iPhone application, submit your quiet space directly to the Stereopublic team. Sound artist Jason Sweeney will then create an individual quiet sound piece for you and your location, sending it back to you in exchange for your participation. Once this exchange is complete, your city-specific location will be placed on an ever-growing virtual soundmap of Sydney.  https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/51777

Directed by Jason Sweeney. Creative Producer: Martin Potter. Designer: Amy Milhinch.  Interactive Producer: Nick Crowther. Architectural Consultant: Dale Wright. Design Studio: Freerange Future

• Jason Sweeney is an interdisciplinary artist, director, ‘sound surveyor’/composer and curator, making media-based performances, sound works, music and installations nationally and internationally. He curates Adhocracy and Cutaway in Adelaide, and has been an artist in residence at BANFF (Canada), ACMI (Aus), Spill Festival (UK) and Nadine (Belgium).