Sound artists compose sonic and multisensory interpretations of abstract paintings for this new exhibition at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado.
Still in Sound explores how visitors may experience abstract visual language through sound in the Clyfford Still Museum’s largest galleries. Exhibition co-curators Bailey Placzek, the Museum’s curator of collections, and Ben Coleman, a British multidisciplinary artist, engaged contemporary artists who work with sound in their practice.
After brief residencies, artists Maria Chávez, Maya Dunietz, Kalyn Heffernan, Matana Roberts, and Michael Schumacher each selected an abstract Still painting and composed an original, sonic interpretation in response. Their selections and resulting compositions set the tone for each gallery, then Placzek filled the rooms with other artworks that resonated with their contributions. Coleman curated the sound interpretations to play in a shuffled order, creating a non-linear, immersive experience. The exhibition’s digital guide includes full recordings of each interpretation, enabling visitors to experience the show at their own pace.
“There is no set path, no beginning or end, and every visit will be different,” says Coleman. “Our guest artists’ interpretations give us the chance to inhabit their individual experiences of the work and compare or blend them with our own.”
Denver artist Phillip David Stearns also designed a special interactive experience for the exhibition in response to Still’s pastel drawings.
Running concurrently with Still in Sound, the Museum’s chronological display of Still’s works in the early galleries features a sound tour with American experimental music, sound art, and examples from the archives. These exhibitions will close in February 2027.
To mark the Museum’s anniversary, the Still’s new feature exhibition, Celebrating 15 Years: 15 New Paintings in 15 Months, will unveil one never-before-seen Still artwork in its first gallery each month through September 2027.
Designed specifically to display Still’s art, the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado, is home to approximately 3,125 pieces, representing 93% of his lifetime of work.
To learn more, visit clyffordstillmuseum.org.