Sonic Sunset
Artwork by Jerome Allen-Smith (2025).

Sonic Sunset

A Sensory Odyssey that Transports Us to Rare Ecosystems Around the Globe
Nick Ryan & Kay Matschullat
September 27, 2025
Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Sonic Sunset is produced by Media Art Xploration (MAXlive), Kay Matschullat, Artistic Director, with support from Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division. Additional Funding provided by the Ettinger foundation, public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the generous support of our individual donors.
Sonic Sunset brings audiences into a sensory-rich audio odyssey that transports them to rare ecosystems around the globe.

Guided by renowned scientists’ engagement with endangered species and rigorous interpretation from award-winning artists, Sonic Sunset blends vocal performance with bio-acoustic field recordings of whales in sub-Arctic waters, orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo, and birds over the lush valleys of India’s Western Ghats. Enter into each ecosystem through each species’ perspective in order to connect deeply and emotionally with their homes and consider the human impact that endangers them all.

Sonic Sunset will be followed with a conversation among the Creative Team and Scientists. A Reception will close out the evening.

 

Featured Collaborators

"Sonic Sunset.. transcends the hems of traditional audio art"

The Science Times

Conversation with the Artists

Collaboration as Resistance: The Art and Science of Sound

Special Thanks to ¡Oye! Group
Speakers: Nick Ryan, Kay Matschullat, David Bengali, Dr. Wendy Erb, Dr. Vijay Ramesh, Dr. Michelle Fournet, Dr. David Haskell
Moderated By: R. Luke Dubois
Production Photos by Erica MacLean (2025).
Conversation & Reception Photos by Erica MacLean (2025).
Behind the Scene Photos by Hannah Jo (2024).