Kinokologue exhibition of sounds at John Rylands

Delve into a cabinet of strange ‘sound spores’ at John Rylands library, drawn from hours of recordings gathered by Kinokophone, a Manchester-based sound recording collective. Whether recorded as part of a particular project or overheard on a whim, the recordings have been placed in the drawers of old-fashioned wooden cabinets waiting to be discovered by visitors’ ears, eyes and imagination. The installation, which as well as sound consists of bespoke cabinets by furniture designer David Marsh and intricate embroideries in response to the sounds by Akiko Yanagimoto, raises questions relating to the value of sounds as objects, the processes of recording them, and what they mean to listeners. The beautiful decorative surroundings of the library provide the perfect surroundings for contemplating this archive with a difference, and visitors are encouraged to interact with the installation by suggesting classifications for each sound ‘specimen’.

Mon 4 Nov – Sun 20 Jan 2013, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, M3 3EH, FREE, 10am – 5pm Tue – Sat, 12pm – 5pm Sun & Mon, www.kinokophone.com