Tim Hecker on 'Wastelands' at MUAC and the Art of Destruction

Tim Hecker presents 'Wastelands', a site-specific sound piece commissioned by the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) in Mexico City and produced by Mutek, housed in the museum's Espacio de Experimentación Sonora. The Canadian composer (born 1974 in Vancouver) describes the work as an opportunity to avoid the hamster wheel of the music industry and create without rules, using the museum's exceptional sound system. Hecker's creative process is defined by a relentless internal critic and editor, often discarding pieces after months of completion if they feel too simple or emotive. He rejects utilitarian music that serves as a financial asset or productivity tool, citing Spotify's Focus Hub as an example. His approach aims for ambiguity and non-didactic art that resists algorithmic categorization. Hecker references his album 'Ravedeath, 1972' (2011), whose cover depicts a piano drop ritual at MIT—the same institution where early audio compression was developed. He sees true beauty as escaping utilitarian description and confronting post-war techno-scientific arrogance. Recent works like 'Virgins' (2013), 'Konoyo' (2018), 'Anoyo' (2019), and 'No Highs' (2023) reflect a shift away from pure electronics toward figurative, instrumental music. Hecker strives to create music that could be listened to in 2070, distrusting the present moment.