Synthesizers: Sound of the Future Exhibition Officially Opened

The Grainger Museum’s eagerly anticipated new exhibition, Synthesizers: Sound of the Future, is now officially open to the public.

Curated by Grainger Museum curator Heather Gaunt, the exhibition sheds light on a vibrant yet somewhat forgotten period in the Grainger’s history when, during the 1960s and early ‘70s, Australian composer Keith Humble transformed the Museum into an experimental electronic music laboratory for students and composers.

Synthesizers: Sound of the Future is part exhibition and part interactive “open studio” – visitors can try their hand creating experimental sound and video works on a suite of stunning analogue synthesizers, many of which were present at the Grainger Museum during the 1960s and ‘70s during Keith Humble’s time at the Museum, including the EMS VCS 1 and VCS 3 and the EMS Spectre video synthesizer, on loan for this exhibition from local experimental sound laboratory Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS).

The exhibition was officially opened Thursday evening, 19 April 2018 in the presence of around 120 guests, with an erudite and characteristically wry opening address by Melbourne-based composer and interdisciplinary artist David Chesworth. Following Chesworth’s address, guests were treated to an intimate performance in the exhibition gallery by local electronic audio-visual duo, OK EG (Lauren Squire and Matthew Wilson, pictured below), performing a stunning original work using analogue synthesizers, samples and live vocals.

Synthesizers: Sound of the Future is on exhibition at the Grainger Museum at the University of Melbourne during the Museum’s regular opening hours, until 9 September 2018. Admission is free.

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Grainger Museum

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