The Art of Noise exhibition, opening May 4 on Floor 7 at SFMOMA, explores the powerful intersection of music and design, highlighting how visual culture shapes the way we experience sound. Curated by Joseph Becker, the show presents over a century of design artifacts—from concert posters and album covers to audio devices and immersive sound installations—tracing the evolution of how music has been seen, performed, and listened to.
The exhibition features more than 800 objects, including psychedelic rock posters from San Francisco’s 1960s and 70s scene, classic album artwork, and influential audio devices that transformed listening experiences, such as early phonographs, transistor radios, the Sony Walkman, and the iPod. Iconic works by designers like Dieter Rams, Ron Arad, Tom Sachs, and Mathieu Lehanneur illustrate innovations in form, material, and user interaction, ranging from minimalist elegance to experimental, sculptural approaches.
Art of Noise also emphasizes immersive and interactive experiences. Collaborating with teenage engineering, the exhibition creates a futuristic environment with modular sound systems, interactive seating, and curated playlists, alongside works like Choir (2022), a miniature synthesizer-based choral installation. Additional sound experiences include Yuri Suzuki’s Arborhythm (2024), which transforms environmental recordings into dynamic audio sculptures, and Devon Turnbull’s HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 2 (2024), an immersive listening environment celebrating vinyl, reel-to-reel, and live performance.
By showcasing familiar music-related objects in a museum context, Art of Noise encourages visitors to reconsider everyday design, highlighting the artistry, innovation, and cultural significance embedded in the tools, visuals, and experiences that accompany music. The exhibition bridges nostalgia and modernity, celebrating both the legacy of past designs and the possibilities of future sound technology.
