2013
“Ear cleaning” Exercise
Produced as part of programming for “Soundings: A Contemporary Score” – MoMA’s first exhibition of sound-based work – For Your Ears Only was a listening tour based on the practice of ear cleaning; a listening strategy proposed by R. Murray Schafer in which the listener plugs their ears in order to clear the acoustic pallet. In a series of listening experiences that explored aspects of the MoMA’s acoustic ecology, Papalia lead participants who were wearing earplugs to three sites with distinctly different acoustic qualities; and instructed them to unplug their ears and listen. Tours were accompanied by an edition of ear cleaning kits that included a pair of disposable earplugs and a number of prompts for self-guided listening experiences in the museum.
Carmen Papalia 