Benoît Maubrey

My decision in the early 1980s to stop working with pigments and canvas came from a desire to interact directly with public spaces. This is why I decided to work with loudspeakers and media. Loudspeakers have long been integrated into modern life inside our homes, mass transportation, and public spaces. Speakers are cheap and commonplace: they can be found at flea markets, second-hand stores, or
recycling centers. For people in general (we like to collect them also from locals) loudspeakers have a personal touch or patina. I use them much in the same way that a sculptor uses clay or wood: as a modern medium to create artworks with the
added attraction that they can make the air vibrate ("sound“) around them and create a public and interactive hotspot.
Since 1990 I have been creating interactive sound sculptures made with hundreds of recycled speakers. Found in public places, these electroacoustic sculptures have taken on various shapes like a gateway, an arena, a temple, an igloo or a wall. The speakers are all connected and allow passersby to express themselves through them: the sculptures are equipped with an amplifier, a mixing board, Bluetooth receivers, and telephone answering systems (anyone can call up the sculpture and talk through it for 3 minutes) . Community organisations can use the sculpture for meetings and events.
The sound level is controllable according to the environment and the main electronics is hidden. The sculpture itself has only signal cable and therefore is not electrically dangerous.
My work is site-specific: each individual project is created specially for a public space, sometimes directly embedded into a pre-existent structure. The artwork itself can be created on site in cooperation with recycling companies, youth organisations, and local associations. The work is communicative, cooperative and collaborative.