Seeing Voices

Research Background
Seeing voices examined voice and how it is visualised, employed and reimagined in works of contemporary art. While the voice has been a popular theme in recent international contemporary art exhibitions (e.g. This is a Voice at Wellcome Collection, London) no surveys have been undertaken in Australia. Seeing voices sought to extend international research and explore the curatorial proposition that voice can be utilized throughout many mediums, rather than being bound to sound recordings or speech performances.

Research Contribution
Seeing voices was the first major national exhibition to consider the theme of voice in the Australian context. The exhibition situated contemporary Australian art in dialogue with key international interlocutors in the field, including Erik Bunger, Susan Hiller, and Nina Katchadourian. The show featured paintings, sculptural installation, sign language, and text-based works to argue that voice is malleable and cannot be contained within any single medium. It understood the voice as an index – a measure of position, perspective, distance and emotion. And as a marker of cultural and geographic specificity; a medium for colloquialisms and the trace of disappearing languages or dialects. It explored voice as a metaphor for collective action: for speaking out against injustice and coming together in gestures of solidarity. Works from the Monash University Collection were complemented by loans from Australian and international artists, and five new site-specific live commissioned works for each regional venue.

Research Significance
Supported by significant funding from Australia Council for the Arts’ Contemporary Touring Initiative and NETS Victoria (National Exhibitions Touring Support) Seeing voices toured to six regional Australian galleries throughout 2017–19 and was experienced by more than 35,000 visitors. The show featured in mainstream media and leading art publications including Un Magazine, Art Guide Australia, ABC Radio National, and Triple M.