What is the Museum of Portable Sound?

Find out in only two minutes thanks to this handy little infomercial now available at our YouTube Channel!

Coming soon: The Record that Went to Space

We are thrilled to announce that this autumn, thanks to the cooperation of Ozma Records, we will present SOUNDS OF EARTH: THE RECORD THAT WENT TO SPACE. This special exhibition will consist of the twelve minute long montage of field recordings that was intended to represent what Earth sounds like in the event that extra terrestrials might someday find either of the Voyager space probes.

Launched in 1977 by NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to this day these craft, now outside out solar system, each carry with them a Golden Record – an LP containing this montage as well as greetings in dozens of languages and music from around the Earth.

Compiled by the likes of Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Jimmy Iovine, this montage of sounds is a fascinating document of what sounds a select group of humans thought best represented our planet.

This autumn, you’ll be able to hear this dazzling historic recording when you visit the Museum of Portable Sound. Stay tuned for information on the official exhibition opening date and other events by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and by signing up for our mailing list.

OUT NOW: The 4′33″ Museum book & audio box set!

We’re pleased to announce the release of a new printed book and digital audio box set, The 4′33” Museum! This deluxe printed book and digital audio set includes nearly 4 hours of sounds from 50 different museums around the world, and the book contains full-colour photographs, notes, and an essay on collecting. Our Director and Chief Curator John Kannenberg has been collecting these recordings for more than a decade, and we’re proud to be able to bring this stunning collection to you as part of our new publishing branch, Museum of Portable Sound Press.

Buy The 4’33” Museum at johnkannenberg.com!

Museum of Portable Sound Press

 

 

In Our Magazine: Ana Paula Santana

In Our Magazine: Ana Paula Santana's Resiliencia

We’ve launched a new online magazine over at Medium.com! And our first article is by our own Curatorial Assistant, Cristina Sousa Martínez. In ‘And So Their Scars Turned to Gold’, Cristina interviews Mexican artist Ana Paula Santana about her current sound installation project entitled ‘Resiliencia’, a collaborative activist work that’s bringing to light the stories of rape survivors in Mexico.

If you are interested in contributing writing to our magazine, please get in touch – we have a wide remit, looking for stories about the culture of sound, in all of the many forms it takes.

Read the article!

Buy our Gallery Guide Book!

Buy our Gallery Guide!

Our Gallery Guide is now available for purchase! This is the complete printed edition of the official Gallery Guide for The Museum of Portable Sound! This is a high-quality, collectible facsimile edition of the very same Gallery Guide the Museum’s visitors use every day. Lavishly illustrated, featuring a record of every object label, every didactic text, every guided tour, a complete walk-through of our Physical Object Collection, and two bonus essays: “A Brief History of Field Recording” and “Echoes of an Exhibition.” Also features writing contributions by Cristina Sousa, Khaled Kaddal, and Mike Hallenbeck. Check out the preview on the book’s Blurb page, then get your own copy!

• Buy our Gallery Guide!

Londonist Review!

We're in Londonist!
See us? We’re right there, in the upper-right corner, just two stories above urine deflectors!

We’re absolutely thrilled to report we’ve been reviewed by Londonist, the arts & entertainment website! The review does a great job of introducing our museum to a wider public, and summarises our somewhat arcane and complicated visiting policies in a clear, thoughtful manner. If you’re looking for a place to start learning about what we do here at The Museum of Portable Sound, you’ve found it!

• Read the Londonist review!

Listening to Culture: Public Talk in Rome, 10 April

John Kannenberg Public Talk in RomeOur Director and Chief Curator John Kannenberg will be giving a public talk and hosting a listening workshop at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy on 10 April. The talk will cover his work as an artist interested in the sound of museum environments as well as his work establishing The Museum of Portable Sound.

The talk is free and open to the public. RSVP is required: email rsvpevents@johncabot.edu to reserve your place!

We’re Coming to Rome!

Rome's Number 1 Portable Museum (from 9-15 April 2017)

The Museum of Portable Sound will be traveling to Rome from 9-15 April – we’ll be participating in a public talk and workshop on the evening of the 10th (details to come) and will have an extremely limited number of visit appointments available during the rest of our time there! If you’re in Rome and want to take advantage of this rare opportunity to visit our Museum, make sure to book your visit early to avoid disappointment!

• Book your Rome visit now!