Sound artists stage tribute to world AIDS crisis

How would you feel if you sat in a room full of strangers and were forced to voice your… How would you feel if you sat in a room full of strangers and were forced to voice your opinion on the AIDS crisis? Sure, you probably know about AIDS, but in a room filled with the families of AIDS victims, you might feel a bit inadequate.

You certainly wouldn’t want some artist badgering you to give your thoughts to the room. It would be scary and nerve-racking – having to speak about AIDS in front of people who are actually living with the disease. That is what audience members had to go through at the AIDS event, “SILENT/LISTEN,” a presentation for World AIDS Day, which took place Nov. 30 at the Andy Warhol Museum.

The event was advertised as a performance by “sound artists” Ultra-red. What transpired, however, was far from a performance. Audience members were told that they would be treated to a famous composition by John Cage, “4:33.” This piece was exactly what its title suggests: The room was filled with complete silence for four minutes and 33 seconds.

During this penetrating silence, the audience fidgeted nervously and attempted to match their expression with the serious faces of the artists. After the piece was over, one member of the group went into the audience to ask questions. With his microphone brandished high, he randomly chose people to express what they thought they heard during the piece. One audience member nervously joked that he had heard “the sounds of silence.”

Audience members were then invited to approach the conference table in the middle of the room to share stories of how AIDS has affected their lives. One by one, somber people came to the table and told how AIDS had destroyed those close to them, both friends and family members. Most of these individuals who volunteered to speak had become involved with teaching AIDS awareness.

Also, two men currently living with AIDS shared their stories. One of the men related how he has escaped death twice since being diagnosed with the syndrome. He feels it’s his personal job to educate others about AIDS, since public schools tend to avoid addressing this topic altogether.

After each statement, Ultra-red entered it into its database. They recorded each speaker and then rendered his or her voice unrecognizable, using special sound effects to do so.

Throughout the talk, Ultra-red added more and more voices to one main recording. By the end of the night, the voices had merged into a computerized, dull roar. The strange sound vibrated through the room, penetrating the atmosphere of the talk. This computerized concert of sorts was to represent the quiet “beast” that is AIDS.

“SILENT/LISTEN” was an event aiming to raise awareness about the AIDS crisis. Ultra-red’s idea for reaching this goal was to amass an audience to share personal experiences with AIDS – then throwing in some abstract technological elements would perhaps add to its significance.

Four minutes and 33 seconds of silence was an effective way for Ultra-red to have their audience really think about the AIDS issue. But if these artists show their presentation only to small groups of people in a few cities around the world, will the silence really make a difference?