For the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Müller-BBM Acoustic Solutions delivered the audio solution for two spatially separate sound installations by Belarus Free Theatre at the Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista. Curated by Daniella Kaliada and Natalia Kaliada, the artist collective presents the exhibition “OFFICIAL. UNOFFICIAL. BELARUS.” as a Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2026.
The two installation spaces place different demands on electroacoustic reproduction. Inside the church, a recording of “Sounds of Silence”, a new organ composition by Olga Podgayskaya, is reproduced through a multichannel loudspeaker system. The spatial rendering is designed to integrate the reproduced organ sound convincingly into the historic architecture, creating the acoustic illusion of a real church organ sounding within the space.
In an adjacent private burial chapel, visitors experience an immersive collage of spoken word and atmospheric sound material. It features accounts by former Belarusian political prisoners, voiced by actors including Gillian Anderson, Sir Stephen Fry and Ruth Wilson. The sound design for both installations was developed by sound engineer Kseniya Kawko.
Although the two sound environments were conceived as independent spaces in terms of both content and acoustics, they are controlled through a shared system architecture. At the heart of the technical setup is VIVACE.fx. The processor handles spatial rendering, audio signal routing and playback of the pre-produced content. Müller-BBM Acoustic Solutions also supplied the loudspeakers and the required technical infrastructure.
System design and calibration were completed in April 2026.
9 May to 22 November 2026
Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista, Venice, Italy
Usage: Immersive art exhibition and sound installation
System: VIVACE.fx as rendering engine, routing matrix and player; loudspeaker system and technical infrastructure
Image copyrights: Dasha Trofimova
