Installations and Soundscapes for Galleries and Museums
Hiroshige - Artist of the Open Road
British Museum, London 2025
Exhibition link
For this commission, I created a soundscape to compliment the exhibition of Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige’s paintings and woodblock prints of the natural world. From bush warblers and cranes to frog choruses and cicadas, recordings from Japan’s unique wilderness were brought together to create ’Nature All Around’.
From a central point at the heart of the gallery sounds slowly rotated around visitors; morphing, evolving and changing as they followed a route across Hiroshige’s Japan. The soundscape, featuring the flora and fauna depicted in Hiroshige’s art, such as the peaceful tones of bamboo knocking together as they sway in the summer breeze or gentle birdsong, enhanced the visitor experience. From a carefully placed bench at the centre of the room, visitors could immerse themselves in this natural landscape.
Working in tandem with the curators and design teams at the museum and through my own extensive research, I sourced sounds from many talented recordists who specialise in the subtle art of capturing natural environments. A virtual habitat was created from sounds of flora, fauna and other elements that would have been familiar to the artist as he studied the wildlife and landscapes of his homeland.
The 24 minute long mix is comprised of around 70 different recordings edited and mixed together. It was played over a custom installed and fully immersive speaker system and mixed in a surround format.
A highly commended exhibition, the prints, curation, artefacts and setting were all stunning.
© 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum
© 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum
““Hiroshige’s own influences from nature are brought inside in the form of rain, bird, and insect soundscapes, bringing the pieces on display to life and – for those who have seen Japan for themselves – a sense of nostalgic tranquillity reminiscent of the very sounds that inspired his work”
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“Spellbinding and Cinematic
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Ancient India, living traditions
British Museum, London 2025
Creation of a soundscape to compliment this colourful, multi-sensory and atmospheric exhibition in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the museum.
Reaching back more than 2000 years this large exhibition featured over 180 sculptures, paintings, drawings and manuscripts, It explored the origins of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sacred art and its spread across the world.
The intention of the soundscape was to evoke a sense of India’s devotional religious practices alongside sounds of the regions unique nature.
“There is also a real sense that this is an immersive experience, with curtains that swish effortlessly as you breeze through each section, the soft lighting and a variety of natural sounds through the soundscape makes you feel that you are stepping into a different world”
The soundscape featured the evocative sounds of the Indian koel, barbets, peacocks and elephants, amongst many others, These recordings are heard alongside the chants, bells, drums and other devotional sounds. In tandem these sounds created the virtual ancient atmosphere heard throughout the galleries.
Sounds were sourced from many locations across the region, from peacocks in the rice fields of Sri Lanka to the prayer wheels spinning in monasteries set into the foothills of the Himalayas.
“There is much to linger over in this atmospherically staged exhibition, with its wafting silk drapes, soothing lighting, and soundtrack of birdsong, temple bells”
“Ethereal. Passionate. An exhibition with a true sense of mystery
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© 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum
© 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum
Ghosts of Old Havana
Merton Arts Space London 2022
Part of the exhibition “Sound and Vision”. Curated by artist Robert Dunt
Immersive soundscape remix of an original studio performance by guitarist Owen Houlston and Clarinetist Bob Morgan.
The piece was played in the gallery alongside visual art created from a selected group of contemporary experimental musicians and composers, as well as work from visual artists who have taken inspiration from music and sound. Several of my own photographs were included as part of the exhibition.
The track was created as a piece of “Musique concrète” and evokes a musical performance by a band which never really existed in a place which in reality never existed. The track is formed of the heavily edited and processed original studio recordings, mixed with atmospheric sounds and sound effects recorded throughout Latin America.
Waves of Gold - Photograph by Robin Green
© Robert Dunt 2022
