Straight from SXSW, Netherlands Embassy Gets a “Silent Room”

Just what is a Silent Room?  According to “Silent Room,” an installation by Dutch artist Simon Heijdens which will be exhibited at the Netherlands Embassy from January 26 to February 2, it is a space devoid of sound or color that offers an immersive experience of silence and peace, a rare and unmediated moment of reflection in the sensory overload of the outside environment.

Upon your visit, you’ll enter the 40-foot-long room alone.  Eventually, as your ears and senses adapt to the silence, you become the sound. What does this state of silence do to your body and mind? You may find it peaceful.  You may find it unbalancing.

Heijdens, in collaboration with the Acoustics Program of the University of Texas, developed the sound-proofing technology for “Silent Room” originally under commissioned by SXSW.  Festival-goers waited in line for hours to undergo an unusual minute of complete silence.

At the Netherlands Embassy, “Silent Room” will open for visitors on Thursday, January 26, at 12 PM in the presence of the artist, and then can be visited on weekdays from 12-2 PM and in the weekend from 12-4 PM through February 2.

Those looking to visit should register, mentioning the number of visitors, their names and the desired date and time of visit.

*Images courtesy of the artist, Silent Room, Simon Heijdens 2016