Sennheiser - See The Future Of Audio At Art Basel In Hong Kong

WEDEMARK, GERMANY and HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - March 20, 2016 - Great art is all about the realization of a vision -- as is great sound. For Sennheiser, its driving vision is to push the boundaries of what is possible to shape the future of audio. At Art Basel in Hong Kong, held from March 23 -- 25, 2017, the audio specialist will explore the convergence of art and audio: in the Collectors Lounge, Sennheiser is presenting KYMAT, an installation by musician Sven Meyer that visually renders sound into dynamic, interactive art. The collaboration with Sven Meyer is the latest exciting development in Sennheiser's Future Audio Artists Program.

"Art Basel is a showcase for the best in Modern and contemporary art, and celebrates the coming together of human creativity and skills to offer new perspectives and experiences," said Pierre Eloy, ‎Managing Director, Greater China at Sennheiser Electronic Corporation. "This powerful combination of innovation and imagination also drives Sennheiser's vision to shape the future of audio and give listeners new ways to experience sound." Sennheiser is the Official Audio Partner of Art Basel, the world-renowned series of international art shows that are staged annually in Basel, Hong Kong and Miami Beach.

At the Sennheiser Lounge, the audio specialist will showcase its vision to progress the worlds of art and sound through groundbreaking innovations and a commitment to support pioneering artists working with sound.

The engagement with Art Basel is a highlight of Sennheiser's commitment to the arts -- both by providing innovative technologies that expand the limits of creative possibility and also by working directly with artists to support their work. The audio specialist's Future Audio Artists Program, launched last year at Art Basel in Hong Kong, exemplifies this commitment. The ongoing program involves collaboration with some of the world's most exciting sound artists to create new art works. Sennheiser provides assistance and technical expertise. At last year's Art Basel show in Miami Beach, Hamburg-based music producer, composer, DJ, and artist Sven Meyer, was announced as the latest artist to join the project. Now, at Art Basel in Hong Kong the results of his collaboration with Sennheiser are revealed.

The future of sound as art -- Presenting Kymat by Sven Meyer

If Sennheiser's technology presents one way to experience the future of sound, Sven Meyer offers a different yet complementary perspective. At Art Basel in Hong Kong, Meyer will be presenting KYMAT -- an installation and live show that visually renders sound. In KYMAT, a pool of water is placed on a speaker. The sound waves form patterns on the water's surface, which are filmed and dynamically transformed into beautiful and hypnotic works of interactive art that will be projected live onto the walls. The work evokes both the seeming chaos of the natural world and the order of mathematical laws. It also powerfully enacts the ability of ideas to change the world -- words spoken into a pool of water instantly become part of the installation, altering the ability of the viewer to experience.

At Art Basel in Hong Kong, Sennheiser is presenting KYMAT, an installation by musician Sven Meyer that visually renders sound into dynamic, interactive art.

"We perceive sound with greater awareness if we can see it at the same time," explains Meyer. "In KYMAT, my visual rendering is not the translation of a machine − it comes straight from nature itself. I send a certain frequency into water -- such as the words "Future of Audio" -- which creates a shape that suddenly calls to mind animals, snow and even the division of cells. The fascination that such an installation evokes can be explained by its capability to make sound visible in an aesthetically striking way."

Artist Sven Meyer used his KYMAT technology to visually render the sound of "Future of Audio" when spoken for Sennheiser.

Experience new dimensions in sound

At each Art Basel show, Sennheiser has offered visitors a range of entirely unique ways to experience sound, both through artworks such as KYMAT, and by enjoying Sennheiser Listening Experiences. During Art Basel in Hong Kong, there will be a rare chance to listen to the Sennheiser HE 1 -- the best headphones in the world. As the successor to the legendary Orpheus from 1990/91, the HE 1 redraws the benchmark for audiophile sound and is the epitome of the audio specialist's art. "Just like KYMAT, the HE 1 is itself a sensual phenomenon," explains Pierre Eloy. "It is an opportunity to perceive sound as never before."

To learn more about Sennheiser's vision to Shape the Future of Audio please visit: www.sennheiser.com/shapethefutureofaudio

About Sennheiser

Audio specialist Sennheiser is one of the world's leading manufacturers of headphones, microphones and wireless transmission systems. Based in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, Sennheiser operates its own production facilities in Germany, Ireland and the USA and is active in more than 50 countries. With 19 sasles subsidiaries and long-established trading partners, the company supplies innovative products and cutting-edge audio solutions that are optimally tailored to its customers' needs. Sennheiser is a family owned company that was founded in 1945 and which today has 2,750 employees around the world that share a passion for audio technology. Since 2013, Sennheiser has been managed by Daniel Sennheiser and Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, the third generation of the family to run the company. In 2015, the Sennheiser Group had sales totaling €682 million. www.sennheiser.com

About Art Basel

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition.

Art Basel's engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through a number of new initiatives. In 2014, Art Basel launched its Crowdfunding Initiative, in collaboration with Kickstarter. This initiative presents jury-selected art projects to potential benefactors, which include Art Basel's vibrant audience and the Kickstarter community. The initiative has catalyzed much needed support for outstanding non-commercial art projects worldwide and so far has helped pledge over $1.4 million to creative projects around the world. For Art Basel Cities, launched in 2016, Art Basel is working with selected partner cities to develop vibrant and content driven programs specific to the individual city. Connecting them to the global art world through Art Basel's expertise and network, Art Basel Cities supports its partners to develop their unique cultural landscape. For further information please visit artbasel.com.