Exhibition
Pling! Sound and Design
Whether in everyday objects or digital media, sound is an elementary component of design. The exhibition shows how sounds shape our perception and how listening as a design method opens up new, more inclusive approaches.
- date
- address
- Pfingstweidstrasse 968005 Zurichopen Google MapsExternal link
- admission
- regular CHF 15
- reduced CHF 10
- free for everyone every Thursday from 5pm
- free under 20 years
About the exhibition
From the alarm signal to the media player, design conveys to users that some things make a particular sound. Because we also hear with our eyes and see with our ears—both senses working in tandem.
The “soundtrack” of objects or digital interfaces is thus deliberately designed. Noises direct our gaze, whether on the street or in a film. Acoustics determine the shape of a room or an entire landscape. Sounds arouse emotions and memories, jingles can inspire trust and recognition in advertising and branding. But what is behind the sound waves that produce all these sounds? Bioacoustics, Sound Studies, and artistic research investigate what tone, sound, and noise actually are—and what they mean for society.
The exhibition renders audible and visible what often resonates unconsciously in everyday life, showing how the inclusion of auditory perception opens up new, more inclusive approaches to the world. From silence in a soundproofed room to absolute euphony in the Listening Room, hearing as a design task and method can be experienced in a variety of ways.
“At a time when digital interfaces shape our daily life, products communicate in increasingly automated ways and cities become denser and denser, the acoustic quality of spaces and objects is gaining in importance. Today more than ever, design must tackle the challenge of sound: as an element of the user experience, spatial orientation and social engagement. In the process, design draws on insights from architecture, art and research.”
Meret Ernst, curator of the exhibition
Supported by
Impressions
«Nostalgische Gefühle werden durch einen alten Revox-Plattenspieler, Anzeigen für die ersten iPods oder «Erlaubt ist, was nicht stört»-Plakate der Stadt Zürich aus den frühen 2000er Jahren geweckt.»
«En présentant des objets de design, instruments de musique et pépites technologiques, la visite se déploie autour de la gestion du bruit et de l'aménagement urbain, mais aussi des questions de sécurité et de contrôle, d'expérimentations artistiques et de quête d'expériences auditives.»
«Ein Besuch in der Ausstellung »Pling! Design hören« lohnt sich: Man wird regelrecht von der Vielfalt des Themas beschallt – ein hörbares und visuelles Vergnügen.»
«L’exposition montre comment l’écoute influence notre perception des objets, des espaces et des usages, tout en soulignant l’importance du design inclusif et de l’acoustique dans la vie quotidienne.»
«Anhand von Projekten aus Design, Architektur, Forschung und Kunst zeigt die Ausstellung «Pling!», wie das Hören in der Gestaltung wichtig ist.»
«In der Ausstellung «Pling! Design hören» zeigt das Museum für Gestaltung in Zürich, wie und wo überall in unserem Alltag Klänge, Sounds und Signale auftauchen und welche Aufgaben diesen in der Produktegestaltung zukommen.»
Events
Imprint
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Educational programs
The museum offers a diverse program for adults and young people, children and families, schools, groups, as well as accessible and inclusive offerings.
Digital guide
Explore the exhibition on a short guided tour with the curatorial team, accompanied by sounds.
