Artist Talks: Susan Philipsz
Susan Philipsz is ‘interested in the emotive and psychological effects of sound – and particularly song, and how it triggers memory’. In this talk, the Turner Prize-winning artist discusses her evocative installations, which use her own voice and recordings of re-worked songs to explore stories and the potential for sound to define space.
Philipsz first began to focus on sound early in her career, while studying sculpture: ‘I started to think about the architectural concerns of sound and also my inner body space,’ she explains. ‘I became very aware of my voice and how it’s almost a sculptural experience – to breathe and project sound into a room’. The interest underpins her works including ‘Filter’ (1997), which saw Philipsz sing songs associated with escapism through the public address system of a bus station in Belfast.
Susan Philipsz discussed her practice as part of #ArtistTalks, a series presented by UBS and the Fondation Beyeler, which explores the life and work of some of the most influential contemporary artists working today.
Artist Talks: Susan Philipsz
January 2021
