Visitors to the Luxembourg pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will have the opportunity to experience the diverse sounds of the grand duchy, as “Sonic Investigations” invites visitors to “shift focus from the visual to the sonic”.
Curators of the in-situ sound piece at the heart of the pavilion invited participants during the 27 February press conference to close their eyes and actively listen to a portion of it, offering a sense of how sound can transport listeners, particularly when they’re engaged with the experience without visuals.
As French-Canadian architect, research and cartographer Alice Loumeau explained, the immersive experience “studies the role of sound in our perceptions of our physical spaces.” Given the dominance of visual culture, especially when it comes to spaces, she added: “Listening becomes a political act.”
The artistic team members behind “Sonic Investigations” are French architect, researcher and photographer Valentin Bansac; Luxembourgish architect, urbanist and educator, Max Fritsch; and Loumeau. The extended artist team includes German sound artist, musician and eductor Ludwig Berger and French philosopher and musicologist Peter Szendy.
Culture minister Eric Thill called the artistic team “brilliant”, adding that the role of architecture is “essential” in Luxembourg’s way of living together. Valérie Quilez, directrice internationale of Kultur | lx (one of the commissioners on the project, in addition to LUCA – Luxembourg Center for Architecture) spoke of the team’s “ambitious vision” and the months of hard work behind it.
Meanwhile, LUCA director Maribel Casas said the project was “particularly pertinent”, adding that the Bienale is “always a strong moment for our discipline,” especially when “more and more, local issues echo globalised situations.”
Multifaceted approach
“Sonic Investigations” was inspired by John Cage’s silent song “4’33’’” and drew on Murray Schafer’s 1960s “Acoustic Ecology” concept and Steve Goodman’s Sonic Warfare. A total of 14 different microphones, including some that are more sensitive to vibrations and can capture electro-magnetic fields, were used to capture the sounds of various places within Luxembourg.
“We think of sound as passive, but it was interesting to focus on active listening, what we perceive when we travel across a territory,” Bansac explained. As Loumeau pointed out, some sounds—like those of certain insects—were not always evident and required the team gather additional information.
The experimentation was documented through text and photos which will figure into the pavilion. As Fritsch explained, the immersive portion of the pavilion is dedicated to the soundscapes, with visual stimuli reduced, while the outside of that space will be more of a transition area, showcasing more behind-the-scenes elements of the fieldwork.
The exploration has also resulted in a publication, edited in collaboration with Szendy, titled Ecotones: Investigating Sounds and Territories, which the team describes as offering “a curated collection of texts from various disciplines that examine spaces, territories and ecologies through sonic ventures.”
More on the Biennale
Luxembourg has participated in the Biennale since 1988 and bagged the Golden Lion award for best pavilion with artist Su-Mei Tse in 2003. The exhibition runs 10 May through 23 November 2025, with an early curators’ tour and official opening taking place on 8 May. For more information, visit the dedicated website or Instagram page.
