the Listening Room has been extended through August 16

HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3 features a large-scale, handmade audio system by multi-disciplinary artist Devon Turnbull. Known under his creative pseudonym OJAS, Turnbull handcrafts high-fidelity audio systems designed to envelop the listener in sound that is as rich in texture as it is in emotion.

Upon entering, visitors will experience realistic, natural sound from Turnbull’s sculptures and a chance to slow down and engage deeply with sound.

The listening room is part of the exhibition Art of Noise.

programming and hours

The listening room will be programmed daily and activated throughout the run of the exhibition with either special live operator appearances or genre specific playlists. Turnbull, along with noted music collectors, archivists, audiophiles, and musicians from the New York area and beyond, will operate the live sonic experiences Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Outside of the live operator appearances, visitors are invited to listen to playlists selected by Turnbull. Playlists will rotate daily with the following offerings: Mondays, classical; Tuesdays, genre mix; Wednesdays, ambient; Thursdays, genre mix; Fridays, jazz; Saturdays, genre mix; and Sundays, genre mix.

ABOUT DEVON TURNBULL

Known under his creative pseudonym OJAS, Turnbull is a Brooklyn-based artist and audio engineer. He handcrafts high-fidelity audio systems—monolithic works of functional sculpture that seek to express the natural and emotional essence of music. His work is the result of a lifelong dedication to experimentation, engineering, and explorations in the audio underground.

His installations have appeared in museums and galleries such as SFMOMA, Cooper Hewitt, and Lisson Gallery; public spaces including Public Records, the Nine Orchard Hotel,  Patina Osaka, and Supreme stores worldwide; as well as the private collections of some of the world’s top musicians and music producers. Through all these projects, Turnbull’s unwavering pursuit of sonic purity remains his defining hallmark.

playlists

Classical

For this installment, enjoy a wide range of classical favorites alongside lesser-known contemporary and baroque pieces. The playlist ranges from intimate solo performances and chamber ensembles to sweeping symphonic recordings. Highlights include several selections from RCA’s Living Stereo label from the early stereo era of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Helmed by legendary recording engineer Lewis Layton, these sessions employed all-tube microphones and were recorded directly to analog tape. Recorded primarily on-site at various concert halls throughout New York, Boston, and Chicago, the practical, analog approach yields a real-life dimensionality of sound—as if the listener is seated in these physical spaces taking in the natural acoustics of the room

Ambient 

Transportive selections range from early ambient pioneers Brian Eno and Harold Budd to contemporary practitioners such as Maria W Horn and Jonny Nash, alongside Stars of the Lid and William Basinski. Also featured is Michael A. Muller with a track from the inaugural release on the OJAS Music record label. The playlist offers a breadth of space, inviting listeners into a deeper, more immersive mode of listening.

Jazz 

Focusing on seminal jazz recordings from renowned label Verve Records, each Friday will focus on a celebrated album from the music label’s discography. Founded in 1956, New York City-based Verve Records is known to have the world’s largest jazz catalogue, including albums by artists such as Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, and Nina Simone—all of whom will be featured throughout the month.

Learn more about the playlist tracks.  

Know Before You Go

• The listening room is located in the museum’s historic Carnegie Library space.
• Due to the limited capacity, if there is a line, visitors may be limited to 15 minutes in the listening room. Visitors will be notified when it is time to leave. 
• In the event of a line, Cooper Hewitt members get priority access.
• The custom designed sound system offers an exceptionally high fidelity, natural, realistic sound. Cell phones and other devices must be silenced, and we ask for no talking please. 
• No food or drinks are permitted in the listening room. 
• Visitors have the option to take off their shoes and place them in the provided shoe storage. 
• Visitors may sit or stand in the room. Seating includes floor seats with backs, benches with and without backs. 
• Non-commercial photography without flash is welcomed. 
• For the safety of our visitors and collections, the museum prohibits the use of tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, or similar devices. 
• If you are a member, you will have access to a member’s priority line. Not a member yet, learn more.
• Accessibility resources, including T-Coil, sound dampening headphones, and a priority line for visitors with disabilities, are available to support your participation. Ask a staff member or email CHAccess@si.edu for more information.
• No special ticketing is required outside of general museum admission. Your admission also includes access to the museum’s other exhibitions. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Art of Noise is organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition is curated by Joseph Becker, Curator of Architecture and Design, SFMOMA, with Divya Saraf, former Curatorial Assistant in Architecture and Design, SFMOMA. Cooper Hewitt’s presentation is curated by Joseph Becker with support from Cynthia Trope, Associate Curator of Product Design and Decorative Arts, Cooper Hewitt.

SUPPORT

This exhibition is made possible by the August Heckscher Exhibition Fund, the Ehrenkranz Fund, the Barbara and Morton Mandel Design Gallery Endowment Fund, the Fisher Arts Impact Fund, and Jonathan Schroeder and Janet Borgerson.

In-kind support provided by Kvadrat Inc. and USM Modular Furniture.