Collection

Alfredo Jaar, The Sound of Silence, 2006

Images of Alfredo Jaar, The Sound of Silence

  • A large box with three horizontal bands of light covering one side sits in the center of a large gallery. The white lights glow brightly in the otherwise dark room.
  • Past the threshold of a tall entryway stands a towering wall of light, centered in the middle of a large gallery-like space.
  • In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. Light pours into the room from a window behind the structure.
  • In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. Light pours into the room from a window behind the structure.
  • A large steel structure is backlit with a bright white light. Its doorway frames an illuminated vertical green line.
  • In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. A horizontal line of vivid red light appears on this interior section.
  • In a darkened room, an image of four muted colors, almost like a paint chip, is projected onto a wall. Two professional lights stand unilluminated on either side of the image.
A large box with three horizontal bands of light covering one side sits in the center of a large gallery. The white lights glow brightly in the otherwise dark room.
  1. Long In the middle of a large gallery a large box-like structure has been built. It is large enough to enter. The far end that faces you is made of three flowing white panels. The light is so bright that it throws a hard glare off of the polished concrete floor.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
Past the threshold of a tall entryway stands a towering wall of light, centered in the middle of a large gallery-like space.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. Light pours into the room from a window behind the structure.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. Light pours into the room from a window behind the structure.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
A large steel structure is backlit with a bright white light. Its doorway frames an illuminated vertical green line.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
In the middle of a large room stands a smaller square structure with an opening leading to an interior section. A horizontal line of vivid red light appears on this interior section.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
In a darkened room, an image of four muted colors, almost like a paint chip, is projected onto a wall. Two professional lights stand unilluminated on either side of the image.
Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. 1956
The Sound of Silence, 2006
Installation with wood, aluminum, fluorescent lights, video projection, and with software designed by Ravi Rajan
157 ½ × 157 ½ × 315 in. (400 × 400 × 800 cm)
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund and the Susan Devine Camilli Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund; and with funds contributed by an anonymous donor., 2014.33
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago
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Related content

Exhibitions

Collection

  • Alfredo Jaar, Geography = War, 1991
  • Alfredo Jaar, R, 1990
  • Alfredo Jaar, Geography = War (set of three artist proofs), 1989
  • Alfredo Jaar, Cries and Whispers, 1988
  • Alfredo Jaar, Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner, 1988
    An older man wears a black jacket of a military officer that boasts numerous military decorations, including silver stars, gold and black sets of wings, and a grid of several bright service ribbons.
    1. Long An older man in a black military jacket, part of a dress military uniform, is against a black background. The light, crinkled skin of the man’s neck, left jowl, lower lip, and chin occupy the top left-hand corner of the frame. He wears a tan tie and tan shirt, with four silver metal stars on its collar. His body is angled slightly away from the viewer. The focal point and majority of the image is the officer’s black jacket, which boasts numerous military decorations. There are four silver metal stars along the jacket’s shoulder and a set of black wings on the lapel. Above the jacket’s left breast pocket, twenty-two small, rectangular pins (service ribbons) are visible and arranged in a grid. The pins resemble flags, are mostly in vivid colors (including red, yellow, green, and white), and are patterned with stripes oriented in different directions; some flags have gold metal stars. Above the grid of flags is a large, gold pin depicting a pair of wings.
  • Alfredo Jaar, Gold in the Morning, 1985