Clink Outside the Box

Visual and Sonic Installations from the Swiss Sound Architect

To visit a Zimoun exhibition is to visit an audio and visual playground of sound textures and structures. Using regular, everyday materials, such as cardboard boxes, or raw industrial materials, he generates a symphony comprising of simple individual sounds.

‘I’m interested in the sound properties of materials, in somehow “living” sound textures and structures,’ he told us of his works, which juxtapose simplicity with complexity, order with chaos, artificiality with nature and individuality with society.

We asked Zimoun a little more about his installations:

The Plus: How important are the aesthetics to you? Are they equally important as the sounds?
Zimoun: I’m trying to bring visual, sonic and spatial elements together into one essence with my installation work. What you hear is what you see, so both are of full importance.

TP: Do you work with a particular end result in mind- or is it more experimental to see what you can create?
Z: Usually we have many steps of prototyping and experiments in the studio while developing a piece or system. Normally there are many factors which come together, like the site-specific situation of an installation, which would be presented conceptually in what ever way makes sense in that location.
However, I also have many ideas buzzing around which are probably not connected to a specific space or situation yet. This can be specific materials and their sound properties, ideas of mechanical systems or concepts, how to activate space and materials, results of prototypes we did in the studio as research, or raw sketches of ideas.
What is it like collaborating with architect Hannes Zweifel?
Z: We share a common interest in simplicity, materialization, perception of space, aesthetics and reduction. But Hannes’ point of view as an architect as well as his personal way of looking at things is always very inspiring, and ends in a great exchange. It’s a mix of a common sense and two different perspectives stemming from our different backgrounds. We have collaborated a few times within the last few years, and I look forward to more collaborations with him.

What kind of reactions do you get from people?
Z: My work can be seen from many different perspectives and be connected to a range of various things. I even see it in many different ways myself. So generally the reactions are very individual. It depends a lot of the individual person, background and interests.