Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller's Sound Installation Transforms Amsterdam's Oldest Church
The 2018 installation 'the instrument of troubled dreams' by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller transforms the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam into a captivating auditory experience. Visitors are invited to engage with a black mellotron featuring 72 keys, organized into categories of sound, music, and voice. The soundscape includes recordings of weather, animal sounds, and gunfire. Collaborations with film composers produced musical elements, while choral segments were captured within the church itself. Cardiff's voice narrates eleven stories, one of which reflects on a crowded boat symbolizing Mediterranean refugee journeys. This thought-provoking installation, influenced by philosopher Stanley Cavell, was on display from 24 November to 29 April, as reported in ArtReview's January & February 2019 edition.
Key facts
- Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller created 'the instrument of troubled dreams' in 2018
- The installation is located in Amsterdam's Oude Kerk, the city's oldest building
- A black mellotron with 72 keys sits where the high altar once stood
- Keys are divided into three categories: sound, music, and voice
- Eleven narratives spoken by Janet Cardiff guide listeners through stories
- Sound recordings include weather, animals, machine guns, and airplane bombers
- Musical elements were created with film composers
- The installation ran from 24 November through 29 April
Entities
Artists
- Janet Cardiff
- George Bures Miller
- Stanley Cavell
Institutions
- Oude Kerk
- ArtReview
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Mediterranean