Sound installation and documenta: before and after Max Neuhaus

Experimental sound experiences, shrill, then quiet and meditative tones - sound and music have accompanied the documenta since its beginnings. Around 1967, the artist Max Neuhaus coined the term “sound installation” - his work Three to One can be heard, rather than seen, in the AOK building on Friedrichsplatz since documenta 9. The interdisciplinary symposium initiated by the documenta forum and conceived together with the documenta archiv will address this art form, its history and present at the Kassel show.

In the opening event, Wulf Herzogenrath, long-time director of the Bremen Kunsthalle, and Stefan Fricke from Hessischer Rundfunk will take us on a musical journey through sound art. Wulf Herzogenrath was responsible for the documenta departments for new media in 1977 and 1987 under Manfred Schneckenburger.

For the first time, the event focuses on the diverse sound worlds of the documenta exhibitions, from Harry Kramer’s automobile wire sculptures to the subtle sound works of Max Neuhaus or John Cage to the sonic interventions of more recent documenta editions.

An event of the documenta forum, in cooperation with the documenta archiv and Joshua Weitzel.

Admission free.

For participation on Saturday, November 29 at the Fridericianum, please register at

archiv@documenta.de

Phone: +49 561 70727 3100

Contact: Alexandra Winterhoff

Program:

Friday, November 28, 2025 

New Gallery
Schöne Aussicht 1, 34117 Kassel

4 p.m.

Tour of the exhibition In motion. Harry Kramer, Kassel and the documenta, with Birgitta Coers and Martin Groh (both documenta archiv)

AOK building
Friedrichsplatz 14, 34117  Kassel

5.15 p.m.

Visit to the sound installation by Max Neuhaus, Three to One, documenta 9, with Wolfram Spyra

Break (drinks in Palais Bellevue)

Palais Bellevue
Schöne Aussicht 2, 34117 Kassel

7 p.m.

Welcoming address

Martin Bach, Head of Cultural Office City of Kassel

Andreas Hoffmann, Managing Director documenta and Museum Fridericianum gGmbH

Wilfried Sommer, documenta forum

Birgitta Coers, Director documenta archiv

Talk and concert recordings
with Wulf Herzogenrath (Cologne) and Stephan Fricke (Frankfurt am Main)

Followed by a get-together (with wine and finger food)

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Fridericianum, event hall

9.30 a.m.

Registration

10 am

Welcome address

Horst Schween, documenta forum

Birgitta Coers, documenta archiv

10.15 a.m.

Section 1:

Introduction to the topic “Sound and documenta”

Chair: Birgitta Coers

Peter Kiefer (Mainz): See you hear! On listening in (sound) art

Joshua Weitzel (Edinburgh/Kassel): Sound installation and documenta - an overview

Christian Grüny (Stuttgart): Sound - Environment - Music: Ways of Hearing

12 noon
Lunch break

1 p.m.

Section 2:

The Practice of Sound Installation

Chair: Joshua Weitzel

Andreas Kreul (Bremen): “and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.” Some background to the light-sound installation Essay by John Cage

Sabine Breitsameter (Darmstadt): From Listen to Auracle.
The media artist Max Neuhaus and his configuration of listening

Sound art in the archive. Collecting and saving the immaterial:
Birgitta Coers in conversation with Wolfram Spyra (Frankfurt an der Oder) and Kazusa Haii (Hamburg)

2.45 pm
Break

15.15 hrs

Section 3:

Curating and mediating sound installations

Chair: Peter Kiefer

Julia Schröder (Berlin): Curatorial Sound Art - Concept and Networking

Sound installation in the curatorial discourse between music and exhibitions: Joshua Weitzel in conversation with Moritz Wesseler (Kassel.)

Conclusio - Statements

5 p.m.

End of the conference