Sonic Objects; Sonic Architecture
Dr. Nigel Llwyd William Helyer
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Postal: - P. O. Box 1571. Potts Point. NSW 1335 Australia.
Mobile: +61 (0)4 19 49 34 95
Introduction: -
The small Sussex fishing village in which I spent my childhood contained two significant buildings, significant not for their formal qualities, they were both simple cottages, but because one had been the home William Blake the poet, whist the other, ‘Comet Cottage’ was named for the astronomer Halley. Without being conscious of the fact, I grew up in a cosmos in which the arts and science were intertwined, it has marked my endeavours ever since.
Nigel Helyer (a.k.a. DrSonique) is an independent sculptor and sound-artist. He is the director of a small multi-disciplinary team “Sonic Objects; Sonic Architecture” with an international reputation for large scale sound-sculpture installations, museum interactives and new media projects. Nigel has a strong interest in environmental public artworks which engage in intangible heritage and embrace community histories and identity.
His practice is strongly interdisciplinary, linking a broad platform of creative practice with scientific Research and Development in both Academic and Industrial contexts, and he maintains an active interest in critical and theoretical debates.
His activities include; the development of a powerful virtual audio reality mapping system, “Sonic Landscapes” in collaboration with Lake Technology (now Dolby Australia) and he is the Artistic Director of the AudioNomad Research Group developing location sensitive environmental audio at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales.
Nigel is an honorary faculty member in Architectural Acoustics at the University of Sydney and is a Professorial Visiting Fellow at the school of Computer Science and Engineering at UNSW and has held positions as Visiting Professor at Stanford University, the Art Institute of Chicago and La Esmeralda at CENART Mexico DF. He has been awarded the Artist in Residence at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland; the Tropical Marine Science Institute of the National University of Singapore and recently the Radiophonic Fellowship for ABC Radio.
Nigel maintains active links with The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, and is an advisor to the SymbioticA art and biology lab at the University of Western Australia. Nigel is a cofounder and commissioner of the SoundCulture organisation; was a fellow of the Australia Council for 2002/3; the winner of the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award 2002 and curator of Sonic Differences part of the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth 2004. He has recently completed the Wireless House, project, a major commission for the City of Sydney and GhosTrain_02 an architectural sound intervention for The Performance Space at CarriageWorks.
He is currently undertaking commissions for Lake Macquarie Gallery, a kinetic sound sculpture for Geraldton City, WA and Turku, European Capital of Culture 2011.
primary websites:
http://www.sonicobjects.com
http://www.magnus-opus.com
http://www.life-boat.org
education: -
DCA - University of Technology Sydney 1997.
MARCA in Environmental Media - The Royal College of Art, London, UK 1979.
BA Honours Sculpture - Liverpool College of Art, UK. 1974.
Foundation Studies - West Sussex College of Design, UK 1971.
selected awards and fellowships: -
• Artist in Residence, Macquarie University, Sydney 2009.
• Radiophonic Fellow, ABC National Radio, Sydney 2008/9.
• Artist in Residence, National University of Singapore 2008 (for ISEA2008).
• Artist in Residence, The Exploratorium Museum, San Francisco, May/June 2006.
• Artist in Residence, IASKA, Kellerberrin WA September ~ October 2005.
• Artist in Residence, The Exploratorium Museum, San Francisco, September 2005.
• Artist in Residence, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland in the Artists in Labs programme. 2004/5.
• Australia Council + ARC Industry Linkage award (with University of NSW) 2003.
• VACB Australia Council fellowship for 2002/2003.
• Visiting Research Fellow Stanford University 2003.
• Artist in Residence, SymbioticA, UWA 2002 and 2003.
• Winner, of the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award 2002.
• Pollock Krasner Foundation award, 2002.
• Artist in Residence, School of the Art Institute of Chicago 2002.
• Artist in Residence, Lake Technology, Sydney 1999 ~ 2001.
• New Media Arts Board Industry Partnership Grant (with Lake Technology) 1999.
• Visiting Artist to the University of Lapland 1997 and 2000.
• Visiting Fellow to The University of Western Sydney 1997.
• NSW Ministry for the Arts (Arts, Design & Industry award) for Create CD Rom, 1996.
• Visiting Fellow to CAIIA, University of Wales 1996.
• Inaugural Visiting Fellow in Fine Arts to Auckland University 1994.
• NSW Ministry for the Arts (Arts, Design & Industry award) for Hybrid CD Rom, 1994.
• Visiting Artist to the Hanoi Institute of Fine Arts 1994.
• VACB Australia Council fellowship in 1992.
• Artist in Residence, Chiang Mai University, Thailand 1991/2 and 1993/4.
• Artist in Residence, Cite Des Arts, Paris 1990.
• Artist in Residence, Kohler Industries, USA 1990.
• Artist in Residence, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts 1989.
• Artist in Residence, San Francisco 1988; San Jose State University 1988;
• The Exploratorium Museum, San Francisco 1988.
• Artist in Residence, Daewoo Heavy Industries, Korea 1988.
• Australia Council - Green St Studio, New York 1988.
• Artist In Residence, Mt Lawley College (now Edith Cowan University) Perth W.A. 1983.
• Artist In Residence, WAIT (now Curtin University) Perth WA, 1983.
environmental works, commissions and the public projects: -
• Commission for Public Art project Turku European Capital of Culture 2011
• Commission for the Space(D) Biennale WA 2011/2012.
• Commission for Public Art project Lake Macquarie City Gallery (current).
• Commission for Public Art project Macquarie University, Sydney 2009.
• Commission for Public Art project Geraldton WA 2009.
• Commission for Public Art project Wireless House City of Sydney 2007/8.
• Commission for Public Art project Henderson Marine facility WA 2007.
• Commission for AudioMaze WA Blind Association 2007.
• Commission for Talking Stick at the Exploratorium Museum San Francisco, 2006.
• Commission for Public Art project Lotus, ECU, Perth Western Australia, 2006.
• Participant in the Helen Lempriere Sculpture Award, Melbourne Victoria, 2006.
• Participant in the McClelland Sculpture Exhibition and Award. Victoria 2005.
• Theorem prototype interactive audio sculpture for Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland.
• The Syren project, on the cruise liner Opera as part of ISEA2004 Finland.
• The LifeBoat project in Oslo Fjord and on the ‘Opera’ as part of ISEA2004 Finland.
• Everything’s Nice With American Rice, Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, Japan 2003.
• Meta-Diva, Helen Lempriere Sculpture Award (winner) 2002.
• Meta-Diva, 9 Dragon Head Festival Lake Teachong, Korea 1999.
• Commission for Public Art project Dual Nature, City of Sydney Sculpture Walk, 1999.
• Drift, Hull Time Based Arts Hull, UK, October, 1999.
• Ship to Shore for ISEA98 Liverpool, UK 1998.
• Metro-Discipline, Metropolitan Dreams in the Helsinki subway system,1997.
• Audio-retrospective, Muu Media Festival/Finland Telecom, Helsinki, Finland 1996.
• Vox Gryphon, Centennial Park Trust, Sydney, 1995.• The Factory Spirit, Chiang Mai Social Installation Festival 1993.
• An UnRequited Space, intervention/broadcast project for Working in Public, Sydney, 1992.
• Re-Defining Functionalism, University of Technology Sydney 1991.
• Chamber Work commission for the University of San Jose, California, 1988.
• Din-Ding-Dang-Dong commission for Seoul Olympic Park, 1988.
exhibitions: -
• Klangi,, Aboa Vetus Ars Nova Museum, Turku, Finland 2010 Group exhibition.
• Queensland Premiers New Media Award GOMA Brisbane 2010 Group exhibition.
• GhosTrain Stage 2 ~ The Carriageworks, Sydney, 2009 Solo exhibition in event.
• Adrift in Memory Flows, The Carriageworks, Sydney, 2009 Group exhibition.
• Silent Forest in Nam Bang ~ Casula PowerHouse, Sydney 2009, Group exhibition.
• BioSonics ~ Western Plains Museum and Art Gallery, NSW, 2008 Solo exhibition.
• Run Silent Run Deep, National Museum of Singapore, ISEA2008 Solo exhibition in event.
• Host_V5, Transitio_02, Mexico City, 2007 Solo exhibition in event.
• Ars Electronica, (Host_V4 in Symbiotica Group exhibition) Linz, Austria, 2007 Group exhibition.
• Quint de Loup II Tin Sheds Gallery, USYD Sydney 2007 Solo exhibition.
• Syren for Port Jackson with the MCA 2006. Solo/collaborative exhibition in event.
• Who Cares ~ Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney, 2006 Group exhibition.
• What Survives ~ The Performance Space, Sydney, 2006. Group exhibition.
• KelleRadioActive ~ IASKA, WA 2005. Solo exhibition.
• Exhibiting in You are here – Entangle Fremantle WA, October 2005. Group exhibition.
• LifeBoat at the Touch Me festival Zagreb 2005. Solo/collaborative exhibition in event.
• Participant in the National Sculpture Prize, Australian National Gallery July 2005. Group exhibition.
• Exhibition in the Kunst Museum Luzern, Switzerland, AiL project, May 2005. Solo in event.
• The Butterfly Effect, The Australian Museum, Sydney 2005. Solo exhibition in event.
• The Naughty Apartment, Moores Building, Fremantle, as part of BEAP2004. Solo exhibition.
• The Naughty Apartment, RMIT Project Space, Melbourne 2003. Solo exhibition.
• Gone to Earth, Boutwell-Draper Gallery Sydney 2003. Solo exhibition.
• NoiseFloor, Stanford University Gallery 2003. Solo exhibition.
• Two or Three things I Know… School of Sound, South Bank, London, 2003. Solo exhibition.
• Host_V3, Auditori CAM, Alicante, 2003. Solo exhibition.
• Host_V2, Metronom Gallery, Barcelona, Spain. 2003. Solo exhibition.
• Seed, the Biennale of Electronic Arts, Perth, 2002. Solo exhibition in event.
• Magnus-Opus, Garage Festival, Straslund, Germany, 2002. Solo exhibition in event.
• Seed, SoundCulture, ASU Gallery, Phoenix Arizona, 2002. 2 Person exhibition.
• Deluge, in the Artist Biennale, as part of the Adelaide Festival 2002. Solo exhibition in event.
• Caliban’s Children, TMAG/Solar Circuit, Hobart, 2002 Group exhibition.
• Caliban’s Children, in CrossTalk, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, 2001. Group exhibition.
• Chant, Buddha; Radiant Awakening exhibition at AGNSW 2001/2. Solo exhibition in event.
• Metamorphoses II, AGNSW during summer 2000/1 Solo exhibition.
• Ariel, in Orbital, CCP, Melbourne, 2000. Solo exhibition in event.
• Ariel, in Orbital, Lux Gallery, London, UK 2000. Solo exhibition in event.
• Transit of Venus, Auckland City New Gallery in SoundCulture 1999. Solo exhibition in event.
• Transit of Venus, Kiasma (New Museum of Modern Art, Helsinki) 1999. Solo exhibition in event.
• Leaven, Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, November 1999. Solo exhibition.
• Metamorphoses, Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney 1997. Solo exhibition in event.
• Din, as part of the Innenseit Projekt, Kassel, 1997. Solo exhibition in event.
• Toll, Galerie Muu, Helsinki 1996. Solo exhibition.
• Silent Forest, National Gallery of Victoria as part of Contempora 5, 1997. Solo exhibition in event.
• Silent Forest, San Francisco Institute of Art, as part of SoundCulture96. Solo exhibition in event.
• Silent Forest Beta, Annandale gallery 1995. Solo exhibition.
• Oracle, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, in Sound in Space 1995. Solo exhibition in event.
• Gyro Diva II, George Fraser Gallery, Auckland 1994. Solo exhibition.
• ReCirculations; A Techno-Poetics, Chiang Mai University Gallery, 1994. 2 Person exhibition.
• ReCirculations; A Techno-Poetics, at Silpakorn University, Bangkok 1993. 2 Person exhibition.
• Gyro/Video, SoundCulture Japan, 1993. Solo exhibition in event.
• Aura, Annandale Gallery 1993. Solo exhibition.
• Gyro Diva, Artspace 1993. Solo exhibition.
• La Zona del Silencio, Mexico and the Biennale of Sydney 1992/93 Solo exhibition in event.
• Siren Song, AGNSW 1992. Solo exhibition.
• Hybrid, USIS Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand 1992. Group exhibition.
• The Lament, WINDOW Gallery, SoundCulture Sydney 1991. Solo exhibition in event.
• Tone Buddhas, ABC Ultimo Studio, SoundCulture, Sydney 1991. Solo exhibition in event.
• Mute in TalkTown, The Performance Space, Sydney 1990. Solo exhibition.
• Bell Transfer, Ars Electronica Linz, Austria 1989. Solo exhibition in event.
• Big Bell Beta, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, WA 1989/1990. Solo exhibition.
• Europa Da Da Dumb, Bicentennial Perspecta Stuttgart Kunstverien 1988. Solo exhibition in event.
• Europa Da Da Dumb, Bicentennial Perspecta Frankfurt Kunstverien 1988. Solo exhibition in event.
• Die Melodie der Welt, Bicentennial Perspecta, AGNSW, Sydney 1987. Solo exhibition in event.
• Et Eritus Sicut Dei, Universtity of Tasmania Gallery 1986. Solo exhibition.
• Preaching to the Coverter, AGNSW Perspecta 1985. Solo exhibition in event.
• Fruits of the Earth…Museum of Western Australia 1984. Solo exhibition.
• Fruits of the Earth…Museum of Western Australia 1984. Solo exhibition.
• Fruits of the Earth…Museum of Western Australia 1984. Solo exhibition.
• All that Glitters; Terra Nullis, NGV Sculpture Triennale 1984. Solo exhibition in event.
• Voyages – Hercules, Portsmouth, UK 1984. Solo exhibition.
• Voyages – Ophichus, Nexus Gallery, Fremantle 1983. Solo exhibition.
• Re-Entry Vehicle, Spectro Gallery, Newcastle-u-Tyne, UK, 1981. Solo exhibition.
• Lieux de Relations, Lyon, France 1981. Solo exhibition.
• Galerie Marina Dinkler, Berlin 1981. Solo exhibition.
broadcast works: -
• The GhosTrain project, Hindsight ABC Radio National, May 3rd ~ 31st 2009.
• New Music up Late ~ ABC Classic Fm ~ Artist’s profile April 2009.
• Fat Zero, short digital animation for Channel 4/Film 4 (UK screened ~ Channel 4 TV, Rotterdam Film
festival, Watershed, Bristol, GMI screen in Leicester Square, London 2001.
• Regular contributions to the French based Collective Radio and Audio Jukebox.
• En 0 Red 2000 festival of electronic songs, Spain 2000.
• A Transit of Venus (co-produced with Simo Alitalo) for ABC Radio1999.
• A Transit of Venus (co-produced with Simo Alitalo) for YLE Radio Helsinki 1999.
• Ship to Shore, a series of 12 broadcasts for the BBC Liverpool, UK 1998.
• Metamorphoses, for ABC Radio 1997.
• A Silent Forest (with Tony Macgregor) for ABC FM and KPFA Berkley CA 1996.
• La Campana (with Tony Macgregor) for ABC Radio and the Biennale of Sydney 1993.
• La Zona (with Tony Macgregor) for ABC Radio and the Biennale of Sydney 1993.
• An UnRequited Space, Public Sculpture/ABC Broadcast, for Working in Public 1992.
• Semi-Automatic Writing, an Opera for Human and Machine Voices, for ABC Radio1991.
• You can’t speak English to Buddha, for ABC Radio1990.
• Bell Transfer, for ABC Radio 1989.
current and forthcoming projects: -
• Commission for Public Art project Zephyr Geraldton City Western Australia 2010/2011
• Commission for Public Art project Lake Macquarie City Gallery 2010/11.
• Commission for Public Art project Space(D) Biennale WA 2011/2112
• Weeping Willow in ISEA Istanbul 2011
• VoxAura for Turku Finland 2011.
infrastructure: -
Nigel has served as a member of the board of: -
• The Performance Space, Sydney, between 1986~!994;
• Artspace, Sydney, between 1994~1996.
• The New Media Arts Board of the Australia Council 2000~2003.
• Board member of the NSW Ministry of Arts (Visual Arts) 2005 ~ 2007.
• Advisor to the SymbioticA lab UWA (current).
research contribution:-
He has advised the International Council of the Exploratorium Museum of Science and Human Perception (San Francisco, USA) and contributed as an animateur for the Australian Business Network. He was a fellow of the Australia Council for 1992, 2003 and was the curator of “Sonic-Differences” a component of the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth.
He is a co-founder and Commissioner of The International SoundCulture Organisation, and currently holds positions as an Honorary Associate in the Department of Architectural Acoustics at the University of Sydney and Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of New South Wales in the School of Computer Science and Engineering as part of the AudioNomad research team.
significant contributions to research: -
Dr Nigel Helyer has a unique role in the development of Sound Art, both within Australia and at an International level. During the course of the past twenty five years his contribution in the areas of practice, critical debate and advocacy have had a strong influence on the practice of Sound Art, helping it to emerge from a position of relative obscurantism to become a vital and internationally recognised form of cultural expression.
Helyer has maintained a strong insistence upon the linkage between practice and theory, not only in his creative work, but also in his role as an educator (Head of Sculpture at Sydney College of the Arts, The University of Sydney 1985~1999). In a professional capacity, he possesses a facility to operate between various sectors, forming a series of highly effective relationships between Cultural, Technological and Scientific entities.
His role as an advocate for such cross-disciplinary linkages has long been active. His work as co-founder and commissioner for the SoundCulture organisation, has contributed to the production of a series of seminal international festivals; Sydney 1991, Tokyo 1993, San Francisco 1996, Auckland 1999 and Phoenix 2002 and as a major partner in the Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth 2004.
As a peer reviewer at The Australia Council for the Arts, he has been committed to the development of policy and funding initiatives that directly support and facilitate Art and Science collaborations. He played an active role in the development of the Synapse Art and Science partnership scheme that has introduced joint funding by the Australia Council and the Australian Research Council, established a nation wide database and hosts Artists to work within Science organisation.