Susan Philipsz Releases Digital Edition of Poe-Inspired Sound Installation for Lockdown

Sound artist Susan Philipsz, who won the Turner Prize, has unveiled a digital rendition of her 2020 piece 'The Unquiet Grave', now called 'Muffled Drums', aimed at audiences during lockdown. This work was initially commissioned for Hamilton Mansion at Philadelphia's Woodlands Cemetery and is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's 1843 tale 'The Tell-Tale Heart', featuring concealed sound recordings to instill a sense of paranoia. The digital version consists of four audio tracks—three focused on percussion and one on vocals—designed to be placed around living spaces using various objects as resonators. Philipsz frequently investigates sound as a time capsule, as demonstrated in her earlier works 'Lowlands' and 'SURROUND ME'. The vocal track includes her rendition of 'The Unquiet Grave' (Child 78), which can be streamed on the Philadelphia Contemporary website.