Chelsea Leventhal (*Berkshire County, USA) is a sound and installation artist based in Berlin, Germany. Her pieces engage the reanimation and articulation of space, perception of auditory archetypes, and creation of sonic allegories, taking the form of site-specific sound installations in public space and multichannel sound works featuring sculptural components, visual elements, or video. The domestic soundscape, psychogeographical exploration of urban spaces, and the human-nature relationship are recurring themes in her work.
She has received commissions from organizations such as Pépinières Européennes pour Jeunes Artistes in Paris, id11 in Delft, Kultur Mitte and the Bezirksamt Neukölln in Berlin, I-Park Foundation in the USA, and the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, and participated in numerous residencies, including at Hellerau European Centre for the Arts and ZKM in Karlsruhe. Her works have been presented at Maerzmusik in Berlin, Dystopia Festival in Istanbul, the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten in Marl, and other diverse locations.
Photo: Frank Dinardi
Chelsea Leventhal
*Berkshire County, USA, lives in Berlin, DE
Education
2016 Master of Arts / Sound Studies, UdK Berlin
2011 Aufbaustudium Elektroakustische Musik / HfM Franz Liszt, Weimar
2008 European Course for Music Composition and Technologies at IRCAM in Paris, Technische Universität Berlin & UdK Berlin.
2007 Bachelor of Arts / Grinnell College, USA.
Selected Exhibitions and Commissions
* site-specific/commissioned work, **solo or two-person exhibition
2024
Art in Transit | Bangalore, IN — "The Hands, Amplified — The Voices, Responding"**, collaboration with maraa and Big Bang
Chromart Gallery | Berlin, DE — "Home: A Journey to Identity and Belonging"
Werkstadt | Berlin, DE — "Inside the Map"**, duo show with Douglas Henderson
2023
Brücke Museum | Berlin, DE – “ONSITE Festival”*
Hošek Contemporary | Berlin, DE – “Psychoanalysis of Fire”**
Henry Ford Bau | Berlin, DE — “Dual Use"
2022
Hilbertraum | Berlin, DE — “The Rampant Wall”
Zönotéka | Berlin, DE — “Into the Light”*,**
2021
Labor Neunzehn, Berlin, DE – “Portals/Anchors”**
I-Park Foundation, East Haddam, USA – “20th anniversary Audio walk”
Hellerau European Centre for the Arts, Hellerau, DE – “Parkour”
Akbank Sanat, Istanbul, TR – “Dystopia Festival”
2020
Galerie im Saalbau, Berlin, DE – “Dear Resident,”**
2019
Haus Am Kleistpark, Berlin, DE – “Schöneberger Art”
I-Park Foundation, East Haddam, USA – “Site-responsive ArtBiennale”*
2018
Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin, DE – “Lost Times”*,**
Nicosia Municipal Multipurpose Center, Nicosia, CYP – “Traces—Green”**
Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Witten, DE*
Studio 8, Berlin, DE – “Vibrant Matter”
Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin, DE – “Eine Enzyklopädie des Zarten”*
2017
Stadtschloss Kapelle, Weimar, DE – “Die Kapelle und das
spezifische Gewicht der Zeit”*
HBK, Braunschweig, DE – “Department of”
Vierte Welt, Berlin, DE – “Klangtour 2017”*
2016
Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten, Marl, DE – “Marler Medienkunst-Preise 2016”
Galerie Mario Mazzoli, Berlin, DE – “Nexus”
Fondation Hippocrène, Paris, FR – “Cachet de la PosteFaisant Foi”
2015
Galerie Weißer Elefant, Berlin, DE – “Undertones”*
Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, DE – “Performing the Black Mountain Archive”
Deutschland Radio Kultur, DE – “Kurzstrecke 40”
Hi-Res! Agency, Berlin, DE – “Resonanz: Klang.Kunst.Gesellschaft”*
MaerzMusik Festival, Berlin, DE*
2014
Atelier Georges Meliés, Paris, FR – “Park in Progress 14”**
“Jours des Arts + Sciences,” Orleans, Tours + Bourges, FR
2013
Museo delle Donne, Bolzano, IT – “Museruole Festival”
2012
De Kabelfabriek | Delft, NL – “Buitengewoon”*
Ohrenhoch der Geräuschladen | Berlin, DE – “Home”**
Grants
2023 Travel grant | Culture Moves
2022 Travel grant | Goethe Institut
Stipend | Neustart Kultur/Kunstfonds
2021 Project grant (Module C) | Neustart Kultur
2020 Stipend - Arbeitsstipendium Ernste Musik und Klangkunst | Senatverwaltung Berlin
2018 Travel grant | Goethe Institut
2017 Stipend - “Braunschweig Projects” | Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur
Competitions
2023 2nd place / Recommendation for realization, Kunst-am-Bau Competition "Künstlerisches Denkzeichen Siegfried Translateur“ – Berlin, DE (Piece realized in November 2023)
2016 Finalist, European Sound Art Award | Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten – Marl, DE
Residencies
2024 bangaloREsidency | Goethe Institut – Bangalore, IN
2023 Titanik AIR | Titanik Galleria – Turku, FI
2022 Sound Art Lab – Struer, DE
2020 Art-in-Garden Residency | Hellerau European Center for the Arts —Hellerau, DE
2019 Residency/Commission - Site-responsive Art Bienniale | I-ParkFoundation – East Haddam, USA
2018 Interfaces Residency | EUC – Nicosia, CYP
2014 Park-in-Progress Residency | Pépinières Européenes pour Jeunes Artistes – Paris, FR
2013 Residency/Commission for the ZKM Klangdom | Center for Art and Media (ZKM) – Karlsruhe, DE
2012 Buitengewoon Residency | id11 – Delft, NL
Teaching
2019-present Guest Faculty, Sound Studies and Sonic Arts M.A., University of the Arts (UdK), Berlin
Seminars: "Dwelling, Thinking, Listening: The Domestic Soundscape" (2021/2024), "Documenting Sound Art" (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), "Site-Responsive Sound" (2022), Supervision: Third-semester projects, Master's projects
Curatorial
2023 Sonic Drift Festival, Hošek Contemporary, Funded by MusikFonds e.V.
Collaborations
2024 "Inside the Map" with Douglas Henderson
2021-present “Sounds of Labor” with Maara Media and Arts Collective Bangalore
2014 “Still/bewegt” with Anni Küpper
2012 sound for Edith Kollath's exhibition “Sinneswandel”