Surround Sounds (2015)

"Surround Sounds" is a silent video installation in which animated onomatopoeia are projected onto four walls. Christian Marclay cut out the words from comic strips and animated them so that they evoke their acoustic properties. "Whizz" runs across walls, "beep" flashes insistently, "thumps" falls systematically to the floor. Although silent, the work immerses us in a mental musical composition, a symphony of illustrated noises. Spectators hear with their eyes and develop a personal sound narrative linked memory and their everyday experience of the sounds that surround them.

Director: Christian Marclay
Runtime: 14 min
Release Date:
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Christian Marclay

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Surround Sounds about?
"Surround Sounds" is a silent video installation in which animated onomatopoeia are projected onto four walls. Christian Marclay cut out the words from comic strips and animated them so that they evoke their acoustic properties. "Whizz" runs across walls, "beep" flashes insistently, "thumps" falls systematically to the floor. Although silent, the work immerses us in a mental musical composition, a symphony of illustrated noises. Spectators hear with their eyes and develop a personal sound narrative linked memory and their everyday experience of the sounds that surround them.
Who directed Surround Sounds?
Surround Sounds was directed by Christian Marclay.
How long is Surround Sounds?
Surround Sounds has a runtime of 14m (14 minutes).