Bill Fontana

Join internationally acclaimed American sound artist Bill Fontana, in conversation with independent curator Ben Borthwick as they discuss the creation of Bill's major new immersive installation.

The Vertical Echoes installation harnesses the dramatic First World War sounds of a Sopwith Camel Biplane and an artillery field gun – which will rise and fall within IWM North’s 55m high Air Shard as visitors enter. The specially commissioned piece is part of IWM North’s Reactions14 programme of events to mark the First World War Centenary.

Fontana, has a reputation for his pioneering experiments using sound to interact with their settings and transform our perceptions of them. For the last 30 years, he has worked in public spaces and museums around the world including the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern in London, the 48th Venice Biennale and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Ben Borthwick is a curator and writer, specialising in international contemporary art, with a particular interest in sound. He was previously Director of the international art prize Artes Mundi, and curated numerous exhibitions at Tate Modern where he was Assistant Curator. He has curated major sound installations by artists including Bruce Nauman, Carsten Nicolai and of course Bill Fontana, as well as many live performances and events. He has written extensively about sound and visual art and was a contributor to The Wire music magazine for ten years.