The Joy of Cacophony

Sound and listening construct processes that challenge human individuality and conventional languages. Sound, by its porous nature, and the cultural and symbolic manifestation of music fostering social connections, exert an influence on everyone’s capacity to participate. Sonia Boyce’s project for Palazzo della Ragione saw her collaborate with three students from the “Gaetano Donizetti” Higher Institute of Musical Studies in Bergamo, who were invited to perform and improvise popular songs in the heart of Bergamo’s “Città Alta.” The act of singing from balconies is an explicit reference to the lockdowns, during which people sang songs from inside their homes to support each other in what was a time of crisis. These actions inspired the artist, for whom singing itself represents a gesture of altruism and empathy.