Christina Kubisch

Christina Kubisch (b. 1948) is regarded as one of the most significant figures amongst the post-war sound artists in West Germany.

Today, she is predominantly known for her sound installations and ‘Electrical Walks’ for which she uses electromagnetic induction technology.

Her early works show that she had to struggle to gain her place within a particularly male-dominated environment, and how she took it upon herself to challenge its gendered assumptions. 

For instance, in A History of Soundcards (1978), Kubisch showed some one hundred portraits of the composers whose legacy had been the basis of her musical training. They were all males. The portraits were depicted on postcards, which made a squeaking noise as Kubisch, and later visitors to the gallery, rubbed them in their hands.

These sounds were recorded and replayed in the same room, creating a cacophony of undignified squawks, diminishing the authoritative position of these composers and drawing attention to the total absence of women amongst their number.

Behind the artist hung a chart of the kind commonly used in Germany in the nineteenth century to map out developments in classical music.