The Sound of the Sun: Soundscapes and Intermediality in Texts of Heiner Müller

Texts by the German author Heiner Müller are an inexhaustible creative source for artists. This practice-based thesis investigates this phenomenon by means of experimentations with sound installation art in order to propose explanations why Müller’s texts lend themselves to the creation of intermedial artworks. The major component of this research are the artworks of 'The Sound of the Sun', which were presented in an exhibition on Cockatoo Island in Sydney (2010), showcasing nine sound installations that were inspired by Müller’s writings. The exhibition displayed a diversity of artworks that demonstrated new creative possibilities of intermedial transformations of literature. It raised questions about the transmission of Müller’s texts, the influence of the site, and the relationship between text and sound in general. This thesis contextualises the practice-based research by drawing on theories of intertextuality, intermediality, and Heiner Müller studies. It argues that the unique writing style of Müller is propitious for the creation of intermedial artworks. By identifying the special features within Müller’s oeuvre that can be used as tools for the creation of sound installations, this research aims to go beyond the original texts by providing new modes of perception and embodied experiences that are immersive, experiential, and establish a dialogue between the text, the artwork, the site and the audience. 'The Sound of the Sun' offers a new perspective on Müller’s oeuvre by analysing his texts in terms of sound and intermediality; and demonstrates the pertinence of his texts for intermedial arts that integrate physical embodiment, individual experience and emotional involvement. These aspects are innate components of the immersive environments of the presented installations.

Grantor dc:publisher

UNSW, Sydney

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Mueller, Eva

• Heiner Müller
• Sound art
• Intermediality
• Sound installation
• Text based art
• Text and sound
• Cockatoo Island
• Site specificity

Statement dc:rights

• open access
• CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
• free_to_read

Licence

• https://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/

Language dc:language

EN

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/15493

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:unsworks.library.unsw.edu.au:1959.4/51941