VISION2020

Open interactive exhibition in full-screen mode.

VISION2020 is Wolfgang Gil’s core creative vision for the next five years.

A book and a virtual exhibition, VISION2020 centers on twelve sound-emitting sculptures exploring sound’s sculptural qualities through the lens of geometric abstraction. The works invite the audience to listen spatially; to focus on how the moving sounds produced by the sculptures get woven together into evolving geometric patterns and how, conversely, these sonic geometries relate to the shape of the objects they emanate from.

VISION2020 synthesizes a decade of Gil’s work. The ideas presented in his vision germinated over a long period of time, influenced by different internal and external factors. At the core, these ideas propose a solution to a problem Gil came across on multiple occasions throughout his career, one that is simple in essence but with large implications:

“I think it is fair to say that to most people, regardless of profession and educational level, think of any creative endeavor involving the order of sound (and silence) over time as the same as music (...) Furthermore, our idea of what music is has been heavily informed by the rhythm, timbers, tonal structures, voices, narratives, and emotional motives accessible to us within our personal cultures. These two propositions, when combined, leave little room in our imagination for an artform that explores sound outside of the common limits of music.”

This traditional thinking of sound “in the service of music” limits our personal ability to experience the world more fully. It also shapes how we focus our energy and resources towards technical innovation in the field of sound, what products we make and why, often prioritizing simplicity and convenience over quality of experience.

The motivation behind VISION2020 is to propose an alternative framework for thinking about and making sound work. The new framework offers a new dimension of expressive discovery, one in which the shape of sound contains expression, emotion, and meaning.

While the virtual exhibition of VISION2020 presents the works in a visual context, the book will present a conceptual context for the making of these works, expanding on the core principles and motivations, challenges, research, and technical innovations required to create the works alluded to in the project. 

By paring these two elements into a single focus, Gil invites institutions and individuals to join in support of bringing the proposed vision to life. For more information about the vision please contact us at studio@wolfganggil.com

VISION2020 was conceived in Newark, NJ, in July, 2020.
Book and virtual exhibition produced by The Honk-Tweet