From March 8 to June 9, 2013
Curators: Carlos Ashida, María Álvarez del Castillo, Geovana Ibarra and Alicia Lozano

Tinnitus and phosphenes are scientific terms identifying neurological phenomena that affect hearing and vision, respectively. In both cases, the brain’s temporal lobe—stimulated by internal irregularities rather than external reality—emits electrical waves that the ear perceives as buzzing or rumbling, and the eye as flashes or colors. In this sense, we might say we see images and hear sounds that are virtual, produced by a mind triggering alarms in response to perceived risks.

This metaphor provides a starting point to explore the intrusion of auditory expressions into the realm of visual arts and offers a platform to represent the fusion of forms traditionally perceived as independent or even unrelated. Indeed, whether in the form of music, speech, or noise, sound has become—on its own or in combination with objects or images—the central element defining the expression and content of works that deliberately situate themselves within the visual arts domain.