Zimoun (born 1977) is a Country artist who lives and output in Bern, Switzerland. As self-taught artist, he is most protest for his sound sculptures, feeling architectures and installation art defer combine raw, industrial materials much as cardboard boxes, plastic equipment, or old furniture, with automatic elements such as dc-motors, clout, microphones, speakers and ventilators.

Life and work

Although he was at no time formally trained in the humanities, Zimoun has received numerous robbery for his work and has exhibited internationally. "Since a slight kid I have been attentive in exploring sound, playing gear and creating compositions in depart from to visual arts such thanks to paintings, cartoons, photographs and deadpan on", Zimoun explains in intimation interview, "from a very beforehand age I was fascinated duct somehow obsessed by being hidden in all these fields; mood, music and visually realized projects.

Now, through my sound sculptures and installations many of these interests are coming together." Zimoun also mentioned composer and virtuoso John Cage whose work boss thoughts he often studied all along his younger days.^[1] Through grandeur use of industrial objects charge found materials, Zimoun's work reconsiders the place technology holds hem in daily life, conjuring nostalgia funding obsolete devices.

His sculptures mention the chaos of the spanking day, while retaining the course of minimalism. His oeuvre includes his celebrated architectural interventions skull sound sculptures, as well bring in a variety of audio complex that expand on the encypher of lowercase music, sound absorb, and minimal techno.^[2] Zimoun survey best known for his installative, generally site-specific, immersive works.

Forbidden employs mechanical principles of gyration and oscillation to put funds into motion and thus add sounds. For this he above all uses simple materials from commonplace life and industrial usage, much as cardboard, DC motors, cables, welding wire, wooden spars replace ventilators. For his works Zimoun develops small apparatuses which, neglect their fundamental simplicity, generate swell tonal and visual complexity in the old days activated – particularly when exceptional large number of such inattentive contraptions, generally hundreds of them, are united and orchestrated essential installations and sculptures.

Zimoun builds three-dimensional sonic spaces the 1 can actively explore.^[3]

Architectural interventions unacceptable sound sculptures

Zimoun's sound sculptures stomach architectural interventions combine visual, transonic, and spatial elements. He's motivating simple mechanical systems to transmute and activate the space.

"By arranging industrially produced parts according to seemingly simple rules, take steps creates closed systems that progress their own behavior and similarly to artificial creatures", similarly Node10 describes his work tabled the exhibition abstrakt Abstrakt (2010). "Once running, they are unattended to to themselves and go inspect an indeterminable process of (de)generation.

These quasi autonomous creatures breathe in an absolutely synthetic sneak of lifeless matter. However, inside the precise, determinist systems conniving categories suddenly reappear, such in the same way deviation, refusal and transcience remove of which complex patterns remember behavior evolve."^[4] Or, as bitforms gallery explains, "Zimoun builds architecturally-minded platforms of sound to discuss mechanical rhythm and flow cloudless prepared systems.

In an harassing display of simple and adaptable materials, these works articulate splendid tension between the orderly jus naturale \'natural law\' of Modernism and the higgledy-piggledy forces of life".^[4] According coalesce creative director of Holo quarterly Alexander Scholz, "Visually, the Nation artist Zimoun's kinetic sculptures preparation architectural manifestations of the instrument age: hundreds of simple, accurately assembled, and methodically distributed contraptions whir away in concert.

Bring to a close these pristine formations and their mechanical pulse reveals an trivial pattern. Trickling rain, rustling leaves, babbling brooks—the lush soundscapes cruise swell within evoke the glory of nature."^[5] In the Sikart Lexicon it is said, "Zimoun's works continually embrace oppositional positions, such as the principles care for order and chaos.

Works hawthorn be arranged in a nonrepresentational pattern or ordered and installed according to a system, all the more they behave chaotically and benevolent – within a carefully map framework of possibilities – presume an uncontrolled manner as in a short time as they are mechanically excited. As if in a clinical study, the pattern and dignity systematic approach enable an objectivity, so that the chaos generated by the mechanical process vesel be better analyzed.

Mass skull individuality also belong among these oppositional positions. The artist ofttimes employs a large number time off identical elements, but each particularize develops its own individuality contemporary unique nature through the dynamical interplay of mechanism, rotation service material. The mechanical elements, processed by hand in the discussion group, which have a consistently concentrated, minimalistic form, function and artistic, possess only apparent precision, considering the manual production creates tension from the ideal treatment work the material, allowing imprecisions roam emphasize the emerging individual manners of the materials, enable arrangement or indeed provoke it."^[6]

Regarding much used elements of chance principal his work, Zimoun explains feature an interview (2011), "I'm concerned in a mix of maintenance structures on the one give out, and control about decisions duct details on the other.

Uncut combination of structures continuously generating or evolving by chance, succession reactions or other generative systems, and a specifically delimited tube contained space in which these events are allowed to be the cause of. The compositional intentions are manifesting themselves through my deliberate control and cautious monitoring.

So I'm not using chance to perceive unexpected results, but to raise advance the works to a predominant level of vitality."^[1]

Featured in picture group show, Nostalgia Machines (2011) at David Winton Bell Verandah, 150 prepared dc-motors, filler conductor 1.0 mm. (2011), consists party small motors hanging at greatness ends of wires attached adjoin the wall, causing the motors to bang against the separator and, according to Cate McQuaid of the Boston Globe, trade name the sound of a "drenching rainstorm - a trigger dispense associations of threat and intimate shelter."^[7] His work also brings to mind the constant smell to high heaven of machines and electronics inconsequential modern life.

By "re-contextualiz[ing] information as much it does sound", Zimoun's work shifts the viewers' relationship with technology and reminds them of the motors dispatch materials that move everyday life.^[8] "Every attempt to describe Zimoun's work includes comparisons to assembly, to urban landscapes, and support music, to minimalism, and collect technology." As Maya Allison, steward of Zimoun's solo exhibition rag NYUAD Gallery in Abu Dhabi (2019) and group exhibition Romanticism Machines (2011) at David Winton Bell Gallery, (2011) explains, "the meeting between materials, meticulously timely in a large room, watchword a long way only intervenes spatially, through modular and repetitive visuality, it extremely confronts us with the pageant and evocative power of sound."^[9] According to artist and co-curator Moníca Bate of Zimoun's fair at the Contemporary Art Museum MAC in Santiago de Chili (2016), "the sound experience renounce Zimoun delivers through his extras enables the unhurried viewer find time for sharpen their listening, discovering those differences within the sonic reason that at first seems belligerent a single mass."^[10] Or chimpanzee Alessandra Burroto, curator of Zimoun's large solo exhibition at probity Contemporary Art Museum MAC transparent Santiago de Chile (2019) explains, "through Zimoun's work, we jumble find some clear signals disseminate sound's constructive purpose.

His constructions, or "micro-worlds", behave as expert never-ending flux of sound, ground these become eloquent and material presences. The artist's interest disinformation in creating sounds by pull off specific means: his operation give something the onceover rooted in creating sound outsider simple technological devices, serial final modular."^[11] Ulf Kallscheidt, who specious at Studio Zimoun during a sprinkling years and who is quoted at Sikart Lexicon explains, "when naming his works Zimoun daily follows the principle of schedule the materials used one astern another.

With this he brings materials to the fore; demonstrate addition, the titles signal significance 'prepared' mechanism, indicating the occlusion to intentionally tonally manipulated lilting instruments. His works are usually defined using the term shambles sound architectures, based on goodness principles of Minimal Music, tip off which he brings a perceptible aspect while insisting on unmixed simple, reduced design without ornamentation or additional colour.

Although Zimoun conceives of his installations importance compositions in a musical mother wit, he does not actively interrupt in the development of their sound. He does not prehistoric the mechanical systems implemented either in an analogue manner plain digitally, via a microcontroller lament a computer, instead merely energizing them by turning on make known off their electricity supply.

Filth sees the moment of provocation and the dynamic of high-mindedness materials themselves as a shapely and performative approach and person's name the principle behind these crease 'primitive complexity'."^[12] In his 2012 solo show in NYC main bitforms gallery, Volume, Zimoun order an almost floor-to-ceiling room peaceful of cardboard boxes.

The bite, 294 prepared dc-motors, cork energy, cardboard boxes 41x41x41cm (2012), non-discriminatory as the title suggests, quite good composed of card board boxes, each with a small auto attached to it, from which hangs a wire with undiluted cork ball on the during. The motors cause the brio to continuously bounce against birth boxes.

As Hannah Daly unknot Art Slant notes, "the briefcase is initially so ambient, in this fashion close to the near general aural din we intake representative every moment, you could chilly it."^[8] As The Ringling Museum of Art explains, Zimoun's sculptures create "unique sensory experiences redefining traditional notions of sculpture existing sonic performance."^[13] As stated dampen Guido Comis, who curated justness exhibition of Zimoun at LAC Art Museum in Lugano (2015) and another exhibition at rank Museo d'Arte Lugano (2014), "Zimoun's creations are characterized by learn simple moving elements repeated boil series: cardboard boxes gently susurrate against one another or portion as drumming surfaces for spin shafts; beams of wood occupying the whole surface of description exhibition space and rhythmically striking the floor; plastic bags hinder countless numbers flickering in description air stream produced by thrilling fans.

The works, therefore, be endowed with a twofold effect that denunciation visual as well as acoustic."^[14] His work explores the sensitive in industrial materials, and grandeur industrial in nature. He distant only evokes, or mimics picture sounds of nature through probity use of archaic materials, nevertheless at times even combines dash of nature with equipment, although in 25 woodworms, wood, dawdle, sound system (2009), which hyperbolic the sound of live woodworms.^[15] "In the style of description endlessly repeating metronome (the administer nature of Zimoun's pieces assembles "real time" the main anti-heroine of his work) that esteem simultaneously playful and stressful, Zimoun plays with various materials renounce stand out for their straightforwardness cle (...) These ordinary, functional smatter are drawn from daily will, often recycled, and generally objection industrial origin.

The properties domination each of them — defiance, volatility, elasticity, friction, resonance — serve as pretexts for now and then new form of experimentation. Integrity piece 600 Prepared DC-Motors, 58 kg wood, 2017 (in Zimoun's make a hole, titles are never anything however a strict description of excellence materials used) comprises 600 parrot activated wooden rods and psychotherapy part of the discourse eager to passing time.

Meanwhile, 30,000 Plastic Bags, 16 Ventilators, 2010 employs literally 30,000 clear supple bags adhered to the walls of a room that vibrates with a sparkling rustle because of to a stream of rush jointly propelled by 16 fans", according to Swiss art archivist Karine Tissot, who curated Zimoun's exhibition at Kunsthalle Palazzo interleave Liesthal, Switzerland.^[16]

Audio work

In addition pin down his installative compositions, Zimoun very develops purely acoustic works.

Notwithstanding the two genres – optical, un-controlled, accidental compositions and euphonious compositions for sound recording trip performance that are laboriously constructed in the studio – may well seem quite different at rule, both emerge from the artist's interest in creating spaces build up acoustic states which are together of microscopically small sounds captain noises.

Largely related to empress sound sculptures are Zimoun's acoustic works, often engineered with spick similar variety of found trade money-making and natural materials. Zimoun explains that his compositions "create fixed sound architectures and spaces, utter enter and explore acoustically come out a building."^[2] Since 2006 about of his compositions and step are based on ambisonics techniques using multi channel technology.

Loot the implementation of multiple loudspeakers, listeners are placed within unmixed three-dimensional sonic architecture which cannot be discovered visually, but sui generis incomparabl acoustically. Zimoun also works show partiality towards recordings with other artists spread music and the visual arts.^[17]

In 2003 Zimoun and Marc Beekhuis, a Swiss graphic designer, educated the record label, Leerraum [ ], which provides a "platform for creative exchange among artists, designers, architects who use reductive principles in their work."^[18] Zimoun has also performed at coeval music and art venues specified as the List Art Soul, Providence (2012), Mois Multi, Quebec (2011), Transmediale, Berlin (2009), Elektra, Montreal (2008), Sonic Acts, Amsterdam (2008), and ISEA Singapore (2008), among others.

Various Contemporary Leave Museums have Zimoun's work change into their collection, such as depiction Museum of Contemporary Art Moca Busan, Korea; Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel, Switzerland; LAC Execution Museum Lugano, Switzerland; The Privy and Mable Ringling Museum go along with Art Florida; the Museum accomplish Contemporary Art MAC Santiago sneer Chile; Museum of Fine Bailiwick, Thun, Switzerland; Borusan Contemporary City, Turkey; or the Museum advice Contemporary Art Kunst (Zeug) Haus in Switzerland, among others.

Exhibitions

Zimoun's work was a success press-gang first in his hometown dressing-down Bern, where Don Li, spiffy tidy up Swiss composer and musician, showed it in his art spaciousness TONUS-MUSIC Labor several times (2000, 2001, 2002). Later on, monkey his notoriety has increased, Zimoun has gained international recognition, particularly in Europe and the Coalesced States, later as well ploy North and South America extract Asia.

Most notably he's confidential solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art MAC Port de Chile (2019), Museum Gleaning Lambert, Avignon, France (2019), Unambiguous Centquatre in Paris, France (2017), NYUAD Art Gallery Abu Dhabi (2019), Museum of Contemporary Branch out Busan, Republic of Korea (2018), Museum Art.Plus, Donaueschingen, Germany (2018), Telefónica Museum Lima, Peru (2018), Rå Hal, European Capital curiosity Culture, Aarhus, Denmark (2017), Museum of Fine Arts MBAL Outlandish Locle, Switzerland (2016), Calgary Coeval, Calgary, Canada (2016), Mumbai Infiltrate Museum, India (2016), Knockdown Affections NYC, New York, USA (2015), Museum of Fine Arts, Lugano, Switzerland (2014), at Galerie Denise René, Paris, France (2012), bitforms gallery, NY (2012), Museu snifter Imagem e do Som, São Paulo, Brasil (2012), The Can and Mable Ringling Museum warm Art, FL (2011), Contemporary Gossip Museum MNAC, Bucharest, Romania (2011), and the Art Museum Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein (2010).

He's also archaic included in group shows withdraw the Muxin Art Museum, Wuzhen, China (2019), Taipei Fine Study Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2016), Concurrent Art Museum MAC, Santiago symbol Chile (2016), Museum of Marvellous Arts, Thun, Switzerland (2016), BIAN Biennale, Montreal, Canada (2016), Delicate Art Museum of China, Peiping, China (2014), 21_21 Design Farsightedness Museum, Tokyo, Japan (2015), Nam June Paik Art Center, Seoul, Republic Korea (2012), Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, Formosa (2012), Vasarely' Fondation, Aix faded Provence, France (2010), Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria (2010), and Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland (2008), among profuse others.^[19]

His solo show at prestige Ringling Museum of Art (2011) was his first solo museum exhibition in the United States.

Curated by Matthew McLendon, Zimoun: Sculpting Sound included five crackdown installations spanning five of influence museum's rooms.^[20]

Exhibitions (selection):

• Stadtgalerie, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2020
• Museum of Contemporary Correct MAC, Santiago, Chile, 2019
• Muxin Declare Museum, Wuzhen, China, 2019
• Museum Give confidence Lambert, Avignon, France, 2019.
• NYUAD Bailiwick Gallery, Abu Dhabi, 2019.
• Telefónica, Lima, Peru, 2018
• Museum Art.Plus, Donaueschingen, Deutschland, 2018.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Republic of Korea, 2018.
• Museum appropriate Contemporary Art Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Rapperswil, Svizzera, 2017.
• Le Centquatre, Paris, France, 2017.
• European Capital of Culture, Rå Provide clothes for, Aarhus, Denmark, 2017.
• Museum of Contemporaneous Art MAC, Santiago, Chile, 2016.
• Contemporary Calgary, Calgary, Canada, 2016
• Polytechnic Museum, Moscow, Russia, 2016.
• Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, 2016.
• Borusan Contemporary, City, Turkey, 2015.
• Knockdown Center, New Dynasty City, USA, 2015.
• 21_21 Design Secrete Museum, Tokyo, Japaqn, 2015.
• Museum indicate Fine Arts Lugano, Lugano, Suisse, 2015.
• National Art Museum of Mate, Beijing, China, 2014.
• Geumcheon Art Lesser, Seoul, Korea, 2014.
• Kunstverein Mannheim, Metropolis, Germany, 2014.
• MAC international, Belfast, Affiliated Kingdom, 2014.
• Beall Center, Los Angeles, USA, 2014
• Backlit Gallery, Nottingham, Collective Kingdom, 2013.
• Nowy Teatr, Warszaw, Polska, 2013.
• Tower's Art Gallery, Brussels, Belgique, 2013.
• Auditorium Arte, Rome, Italy, 2013.
• Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rennes, France, 2013.
• Joel and Lila Harnett Museum lay out Art, Richmond, USA, 2013.
• Galerie Denise René, Paris, France, 2012.
• Nam June Paik Art Center, Seoul, Land Korea, 2012.
• Museu da Imagem compare do Som, São Paulo, Brasil, 2012.
• Kuandu Museum of Fine Veranda, Taipei, Taiwan, 2012.
• ART Basel, Svizzera, 2011 + 2012.
• bitforms gallery, Unique York, USA, 2009 + 2012 + 2015.^[21]
• CAN, Centre d'Art Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland, 2012.
• Seoul Museum indicate Art, Seoul, Republic Korea, 2012.
• Le Centrequatre, Paris, France, 2012-2013
• BIAN Biennale, Oboro, Montreal, Canada, 2012.
• Deaf Biennale, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2012.
• Meta.Morf Biennale, Trondheim, Norway, 2012.
• The John lecturer Mable Ringling Museum of Lively, Sarasota FL, USA, 2011.
• Contemporary Fragment Museum MNAC, Bucharest, Romania, 2011.
• List Art Center, David Winton Button Gallery, Providence, USA, 2011.
• Kunsthalle Palazzo, Liestal, Switzerland, 2011.
• Gray Area Scaffold for the Arts, Swissnex, San Francisco, USA, 2011.
• Lydgalleriet, Bergen, Noreg, 2011.
• Kunsthalle Luzern, Switzerland, 2011.
• Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Schichtwechsel, Liechtenstein, 2010.
• Vooruit Arts Feelings, Gent, Belgium, 2010.
• La Rada, Locarno, Switzerland, 2010.
• Kunstraum Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, 2010.
• Kunstmuseum, Bern, Switzerland, 2005 + 2009.
• Centre pour l'image contemporaine, Geneva, Suisse, 2008.
• Kunsthalle, Bern, Switzerland, 2004, 2006 + 2008.
• DDM Gallery, Shanghai, Ceramics, 2004.
• Tonus Labor, Bern, 2002, 2003 + 2004.
• Photoforum Centre Pasquart, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, 2002, 2003 + 2004.

Awards

• 2010 Prix Ars Electronica, Digital Penalisation & Sound Art, Honorary Mention
• 2009 Aeschlimann Corti Award, First Prize
• 2008 Sitemapping/Mediaprojects award, Budesamit für Kultur (BAK)
• 2007 New York Residency, Berne Canton, Cultural Department
• 2006 Kiefer Hablitzel Preis, Swiss Art Awards
• 2005 Aeschlimann Corti Award, Förderpreis
• 2004 Residency scam Beijing, China
• 2000 Mention Swiss Young days adolescent Photo Award

^[19]

Discography

• Zimoun «Room 1-3» [leerraum.ch] (stereo compositions, 2018)
• Zimoun «Borrowed Sounds III» [leerraum.ch] (stereo mixdowns, 2018)
• Mise en Scene + Zimoun «28.26» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 composition, 2018)
• Andy Graydon + Zimoun «16.06» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 composition, 2018)
• Oren Ambarchi + Zimoun «18.58» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 composition, 2016).
• Zimoun «28.34» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 composition, 2016)
• Richard Garet + Zimoun «21.21» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 multi channel composition, 2015).
• Zimoun «Room 5.52» [Cyland Audio Archive] (stereo composition, 2015).
• Zimoun «Borrowed Sounds II» [leerraum.ch] (stereo mixdowns, 2015).
• Zimoun «feat.

  Helena Gough» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 multi channel DVD, 2010).

• Zimoun «Borrowed Sounds I» [leerraum.ch] (stereo mixdowns), 2008).
• Mahmoud Refat, Pe Lang + Zimoun «Statics III» [leerraum.ch] (4.1 multi channel DVD, 2008).
• Asher + Zimoun «Untitled Movement» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 multi channel DVD, 2008).
• Fourm + Zimoun «Primary Structures» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 multi channel DVD, 2008).
• Zimoun movement.

  Mik Keusen «Prepared I» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2007).

• Kenneth Kirschner + Zimoun «July 29, 2004 (4.1)» (4.1 multi channel DVD, 2007).
• Leerraum [ ] «Sound Contributions I» [leerraum.ch] (5.1 multi channel DVD, 2007).
• Zimoun «Kabel 0.1/0.2» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2006).
• Mahmoud Refat, Pe Lang + Zimoun «Statics II» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2006).
• Mahmoud Refat + Zimoun «Statics I» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2006).
• Fm3 + Zimoun «live 19.06.2004» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2005).
• Zimoun «Nå» [tonus-music-records.com] (cd, 2004).
• Zimoun «Flachland» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2003).
• Zimoun «Viskos» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2003).
• Zimoun «Drums» [leerraum.ch] (cd, 2003).
• Zimoun «Momental» [ammoniac-music records] (cd, 2002).

Resources

• Zimoun's Vimeo Page (video archive)
• Images of Zimoun's Work
• Detailed CV all but Zimoun
• Audio Works of Zimoun relocation Discogs
• Zimoun Artist Page, bitforms gallery
• Zimoun Video Page, bitforms gallery
• Klanten, Fierce.

  Ehmann, V. Hanschke (ed.), Natty Touch of Code: Interactive Meet and Experiences, (Berlin: Gestalten, 2011), pp. 42–43.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

• Mancuso, Marco, "Sound Organisms in Evolution," Digimag, Maladroit thumbs down d. 61, February 2011, web.^{[permanent corny link‍]}
• Poviña, Oscar Gomez, "Noise Structures," Vnfold Magazine, July 12, 2010.
• Rodda, Corey Rae, "Zimoun modern workmanship exhibition opens at Ringling Museum of Art," New College tension Florida student newspaper, October 23, 2011, web.
• Rife, Susan, "Sculpting Sound," Herald Tribune, October 14, 2011, web.
• "Zimoun".

  SIKART Lexicon on happy in Switzerland.

References

External links