An Immersive Journey into the World of Sound and Vibration
London’s Barbican Centre is turning up the volume—without actually making a sound. This summer, the city’s cultural powerhouse unveils Feel the Sound, a boundary-pushing, multi-sensory exhibition redefining our relationship with sound. Running from 22 May to 31 August 2025, the show will transform familiar spaces—The Curve, the public foyers, even the underground car parks—into interactive installations that make you feel sound in entirely new ways.
Co-produced with MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives in Tokyo, this exhibition takes the concept of listening beyond ears. Sound is more than just what we hear—it’s a physical, emotional, and even social experience. Feel the Sound challenges visitors to explore how sound shapes our perception, influences memory, and connects us to the world.
An Exhibition That Breaks the Silence in Unexpected Spaces
Barbican isn’t just rolling out an art exhibition—it’s crafting a city-wide sonic playground. This ambitious show will take over The Curve, the Lakeside Terrace, the foyers, and even Car Park 5. Yes, even the underground car parks are getting a cultural makeover.
Expect interactive installations, cutting-edge sound experiments, and mind-bending performances. Whether it’s an underground club space, a digital quantum choir, or a song for your future self, every installation invites visitors to listen in ways they’ve never imagined.
From Quantum Choirs to Rave-Ready Car Parks
The lineup of featured works is as bold as it is diverse. Here are just a few highlights:
Observatory Station by Miyu Hosoi – A sound installation that collects real-time audio from the Barbican’s surroundings and mixes it with a global archive of field recordings.
UN/BOUND by ILĀ & MONOM – A holographic trans+ vocal collective, inviting visitors to join an evolving choral soundscape.
Joyride by Temporary Pleasure & Boiler Room – An underground club experience inside a car park, blending ‘boy racer’ subcultures with DIY club scenes. Think modified car sound systems repurposed as instruments of music and memory.
Forever Frequencies by Domestic Data Streamers – A series of AI-generated music monoliths designed to create the soundtracks to memories that haven’t even happened yet.
Your Inner Symphony by Kinda Studios & Nexus Studios – A neuroscience-driven installation that visualises music’s impact on the body, revealing the way sound shapes our emotions and rhythms.
And that’s just the beginning. From healing frequencies to post-cyberpunk Indian music, the exhibition’s commissions cover everything from historical resonances to futuristic soundscapes.
Barbican’s Summer of Sound: Beyond the Exhibition
Feel the Sound is just one part of the Barbican’s expansive summer programme, packed with immersive events, gigs, screenings, and club nights. Among the season’s biggest highlights is the world premiere of an upgraded version of “In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats”, a Virtual Reality Acid House adventure, which runs from 22 May to 3 August.
Expect talks, DJ sets, workshops, and performances that bridge the gap between sound, memory, and community. The Barbican is also teaming up with young artists and future sound innovators, ensuring the city’s next generation of creators is part of the conversation.
