about

Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption includes seven sequential exhibitions presented between September 14, 2024, and June 7, 2025 as part of Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide. Immersive, interactive installations, live performances and videos by 13 artists—including Bill Fontana’s site-specific installation Silent Echoes: Notre-Dame and the Dachstein Glacier; Katie Grinnan’s sound sculptures The Sensitives; Anna Nacher’s soundwalks; and performances by artists such as Patricia Cadavid, Amber Stucke, and Sholeh Asgary—will activate the UCLA campus to engage audiences in deep reflection on the climate crisis.

Curatorial Statement

Atmosphere of Sound explores sound and vibration as a communicative form that transcends species and extends universally to encompass geographic features in response to the urgent reality of climate disruption. Thirteen artists employ sound as a means to connect the elements of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, with a nod to Space. Foregrounding Fire is Bill Fontana transmitting from Notre-Dame’s charred bell towers. Patricia Cadavid, Iman Person, and Anna Nacher resonate through Air. Water flows through works by Joel Ong, Sholeh Asgary, Yolande Harris, Robertina Šebjanič, Katie Grinnan, and Nina Waisman. Earth is represented by Christina McPhee, Rachel Mayeri, and Amber Stucke.

Between October 2024-June 2025, exhibitions in the Art|Sci Gallery at CNSI will highlight collaborations between artists and scientists. Video screenings, performances, and installations at CAP UCLA Nimoy Theater, Royce Hall, Sage Hill, Experimental Digital Arts, and Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden expand and decentralize the footprint of our exhibition.

Credits

Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption, September 14, 2024–June 7, 2025, UCLA Art|Sci center, Curated by Victoria Vesna and Anuradha Vikram

Research and production support by Gabriel Tolson and Ivana Dama

UCLA Art|sci center

The UCLA Art|Sci center is dedicated to evolving “Third Culture” by facilitating collaborations between (media) arts and (bio/nano) sciences. Through the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s Design Media Arts Department and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), the center supports scientific and artistic research and dialogue to address social, ethical and environmental issues related to scientific innovations.

Between October 2024-June 2025, exhibitions in the Art|Sci Gallery at CNSI will highlight collaborations between artists and scientists. Video screenings, performances, and installations at CAP UCLA Nimoy Theater, Royce Hall, Sage Hill, Experimental Digital Arts, and Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden expand and decentralize the footprint of our exhibition.

art|sci core team 2025

John Brumley
Ivana Dama
Ivy Lovett
Maryam Razi
Gabriel Tolson
TengChao Zhou
Yonatan Rozin
Sheraz Fayyaz
Soeun Bae