Collection: Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria
Dimensions: 300 x 500 meters
Extant: 2003–Present
In the Spring of 2003, the internationally renowned artist Max Neuhaus (*1939, USA) was commissioned to focus on the then growing Kunsthaus and its environment. Sounds form Neuhaus’ basic material. Amongst other projects, Neuhaus has created sound artworks for New York’s Times Square and numerous other sites in Europe. He has dedicated this latest work to the Kunsthaus Graz. In everyday life, sound is often perceived as a signal: sounds heard as a warning or signs of reference and orientation. Over the centuries, various sounds in the city of Graz have ensured that people went to church on time, finished school, sought refuge or even simply knew what time it was. Within this spirit, Neuhaus’ Time Piece Graz creates a space outdoors around the Kunsthaus that is defined with sound. It occurs periodically as a sound signal. Unlike the traditional sound signal of a bell, though, whose sound commences at its peak and then slowly dies out, at the Kunsthaus Neuhaus has created a sound that enters the consciousness of passers-by when it disappears. Beginning inaudibly ten minutes before each hour, the sound gradually grows. Five minutes before the hour, at its peak, it suddenly stops, creating a moment of stillness. Thus, this building, which as a house of art is focused upon human perception, at regular intervals emits a signal that momentarily reminds people of its presence. Max Neuhaus has given the Kunsthaus Graz its voice.
