Opening on January 22, Saturday afternoon, 3-6pm a new exhibition at Sala Diaz by Austin-based artist Steve Parker, SOUND TREATMENT traces the history of bodily healing through sound. Drawing from the liturgical chants of 12th century abbess Hildegard von Bingen, anatomical votives of ancient Rome, Italian Futurist Noise Intoners, unintentional ASMR YouTube clips, and Sonic Meditations of Pauline Oliveros, visitors will encounter works that imagine new forms of sonic therapy: speaker walls made of cardboard body parts, resonant copper bells, bird sized concrete ruins, tactile brass appliances, and wearable phonograph needles.

In Death Rattle, a series of anatomical votives embedded with speakers extracted from broken electronic devices play audio samples of body processes recorded at the beginning and the end of life. These clips are layered with recordings of British author John Butler, whose soft, gentle voice has developed a significant following among the ASMR online community. Sanctus, conceived as a sanctuary for birds and people, plays four liturgical psalms written by Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th century abbess and polymath whose work explored the healing potential of sound. These psalms resonate through the five brass bells of the sculptures which are then refracted by the attached parabolic dishes. Noise Intoners invite the viewer to press repurposed valves to trigger clips of unintentional ASMR (the voice of the painter Bob Ross, a tutorial on the proper way to drink a glass of water, an unboxing of a Wii U device, and the repair of an tiny metal steam engine). ASMR is an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin triggered by specific auditory phenomenon and is sometimes used to treat anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia. Human Stylus is a wearable device that functions like a wearable phonograph, guiding the viewer to listening intimately to the texture of the ground. This wearable sculpture is a material realization of Pauline Oliveros’ Sonic Meditation No. 5: “Take a walk at night. Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears.”

In conjunction with this exhibition, San Antonio-based artist and musician Christie Blizard will perform at Sala Diaz on Feb 17 at 7pm. Using analog synthesizers and electricity, Blizard will create soundscapes attempting to channel other dimensions.

Exhibition runs through the afternoon of March 5. Sala Diaz remains Covid-safety observant to protect our community, masks are required.