LISSE.- The LAM museum in Lisse has acquired a new artwork that can be found in every one of its galleries. A painting, a photograph or a sculpture? No, it’s a work of art you can hear. For their artwork Food for Thought, Elise ’t Hart and Nils Davidse recorded conversations about art and combined them with everyday domestic sounds. A clock ticking, a coffee machine gurgling, a knife scraping on toast and a cat purring are just a few examples of the sounds that can be heard throughout the museum — loud and clear in some places, more subtle in others. Working closely with ’t Hart and Davidse, artist Jonas Wijtenburg created two wooden sculptures to give the sound artwork a more tangible presence for visitors to engage with.

DYNAMIC

Food for Thought at the LAM museum is a dynamic experience. Visitors hear different domestic sounds and snippets of conversation about art throughout the day. In the morning, you may be greeted by the sound of a coffee machine brewing; in the late afternoon, it may be a match striking.

DREAM COME TRUE

“What you hear affects how you feel”, says Museum Director Sietske van Zanten. “Silence can be beautiful when you’re hiking alone in nature but unnerving when in a room with other people.”

So, to enhance the visitor experience, the museum had long dreamed of acquiring some energetic sound art that would work for every room. Van Zanten says the best state of mind for experiencing art is a state of ease: “Food for Thought helps create a comfortable atmosphere throughout the museum.”

She explains that, ultimately, the artwork is autonomous: “Wherever you experience it, Food for Thought provides a new perspective on the things around you.”

ONE YEAR

Elise ’t Hart, Nils Davidse and Jonas Wijtenburg spent exactly a year developing the work, which was created especially for the LAM museum. None of the three artists had ever worked on a permanent sound artwork of this scale before.

SOUND ART BY ELISE ’T HART

Elise ’t Hart (1991) is known for her domestic sound art. She records buzzing fridges, whirring coffee grinders, creaking stairs, hissing boiling water taps, snoring dogs, shuffling feet and beeping machines signalling the completion of a task — everyday sounds that fade into the background because of their familiarity. She says, “We all love taking photos to capture the world around us. Meanwhile, everyday sounds like an incoming fax, dialling up the internet or a ticking grandfather clock are forgotten with the passage of time. Sounds that take you back to bygone days.”

COMPOSITION BY NILS DAVIDSE

Nils Davidse (1987) graduated with honours from HKU Utrecht Conservatory. He began his course with a passion for jazz piano but fell in love with music and sound composition during his graduation project. In addition to artistic pursuits, Davidse plays in Dutch singer-songwriter Wende’s band. He composed Food for Thought for the LAM museum by bringing the different sounds together. Davidse explains: “The piece encourages you to look at art differently. Catching a few words of a conversation or hearing the crunching of crisps can change your mood and perception.”

MODULAR SCULPTURES BY JONAS WIJTENBURG

Jonas Wijtenburg (1989) is a visual artist with a passion for modular sculptures and collaborating with other artists. Working with ’t Hart and Davidse, he constructed the wooden sculptures that feature prominently in two of the museum’s galleries. Visitors are encouraged to sit on these meticulously designed structures and immerse themselves in the sound art. “The arch shape invites visitors to come closer and walk through it”, says Wijtenburg, who sourced the materials from Marktplaats, the Dutch eBay. “The wood had been sitting in a building contractor’s shed since 1980. Originally meant for a project that was never realised, it now occupies a prominent place in the museum.”

EXPERIENCE IT NOW!

Visitors can now experience the sound artwork by Elise ’t Hart, Nils Davidse and Jonas Wijtenburg at the LAM museum. “It’s a dynamic piece”, explains ’t Hart. “We’ll continue to add new sounds and make changes over time. After all, tomorrow’s conversations won’t be the same as today’s.”

SOUND ART AT THE LAM

This is the third sound artwork in the LAM museum’s collection. The museum already possesses a sound artwork by Scottish artist Susan Philipsz (1965), winner of the 2010 Turner Prize, and a selection of domestic sounds by Elise ’t Hart.

A SIMPLY SPECIAL MUSEUM

With its international art collection dedicated to food and consumption, the LAM museum on the Keukenhof Estate in Lisse offers fresh perspectives on everyday activities like eating, drinking and shopping. Among the many other renowned artists with works on show are Yinka Shonibare, Kathleen Ryan, Itamar Gilboa, Raquel van Haver, Ron Mueck, Susan Philipsz and Michael Raedecker. The LAM museum features the largest collection of food art in the world.