Now hear this

The modern world is a very ‘noisy’ place with our physical, psychological and sensorial space constantly being bombarded by competing demands on our attention.

This scarcity of silence or stillness is explored in a new exhibition – No Quiet Place – currently at the Tetley in Leeds. Curated by Zoe Sawyer, the group show features sound-led and mixed media installations from UK and international contemporary artists interested in combining visual and sonic elements in their work.

In the atrium area is a collaborative piece by American artists Anne Walsh and Chris Kubick. At first glance (and hearing) it appears to be a gentle and calming soundscape featuring the tinkling of what sounds like tiny bells. Looking at the title – Full Metal Jackets III, 2005 – throws up a few questions. It turns out that they are a series of sound clips edited from Hollywood action movies and the soft ‘plink, plink’ you can hear is actually the sound of countless bullet casings hitting the ground.

The Tetley is a perfect place to present sound-led work – with its high-ceilinged central atrium and smaller, more intimate, spaces leading off it, the unique acoustics enable the visitor to zone in and out of the soundscapes surrounding them. Some pieces are blocked off with heavy curtaining in order to ‘contain’ the sound within the allotted space; others are situated in open-door areas so that the sounds can bleed in to each other. Some of the works embrace the cacophony of the hectic pace of 21st century culture; others look back nostalgically or dream wistfully of a time or place which allows the space for quiet contemplation.

Others are playful. Leeds-based artist Clare Charnley’s Chinese Pole (2014) is a good example, and lovely in its simplicity – she took a curtain pole to Hyde Park in London and recorded the responses to it of members of the public. The recording captures the spontaneous reactions of participants and onlookers to this ordinary, everyday object.

Language-focused pieces include Berlin-based Hanne Lippard’s works which explore the voice as a medium and how words can be visually powerful. Her poetic readings use text collected from pop culture, business manuals, self-help books and everyday interactions.

Other works featured include Beirut-based artist Lawrence Abu Hamden’s video work which grew out of his interest in the politics of listening and documents religious sermons on sound pollution delivered in Cairo, set against a background of the vibrant sounds and music of the city. Paul Elliman’s installation Beyond Police Call, 2013 is part of an ongoing investigation of the contact and alert calls of emergency service vehicles. Gently pulsating lights and soft, rhythmic sound is occasionally interrupted by the intense noise of sirens. And Leeds-based visual artist Akeelah Bertram’s Vase, 2012 uses refracted digital video beams and a looping glitched electronic soundtrack of a projector turning on an off – but stretched so that it almost sounds like the sea – to create a rich, immersive multi-sensory experience.

No Quiet Place is at The Tetley until July 10 and is part of The Yorkshire Festival (June 16-July 3). The Tetley Weekender, a mini festival inspired by the exhibition, takes place on June 25 and 26. www.thetetley.org