The Rubin Museum

Prior to entering the museum, I knew about three things about the exhibit. One, it was about sound. Two, it had something to do with Buddhism. Three, it was in some museum in the city that I had never heard of before. When exiting the museum, I knew, felt, and saw things I have never even thought about knowing or imagining.

My focus for this exhibit was on the juxtaposition between ancient and new and how this juxtaposition presented sound. The Rubin Museum is a beautiful, complex structure with technological advancements like speakers placed in strategic locations. The exhibit itself was composed of a labyrinth of soundproof walls and hidden speakers, providing the audience with a complete sound experience. Yet, the actual sound was something ancient and therefore, mysterious and captivating. Ancient Buddhist prayers were being projected to me in a room that looked almost futuristic in its design. The stark white walls contrasted deeply with the colorful intonations of the prayer, and that left me with this powerful yet serene feeling. Furthermore, I believe the only way the integrity of the Buddhist’s song and chants could be preserved is through the technology and architecture of the Rubin Museum. The soundproof walls and speakers allowed the sounds to consume all the space in the room and enter our minds.

This exhibit made me realize that sound is not something to be heard, but to be understood. I, as the Buddhists did, need to hear sound with my ears, mind, and heart. It is only then that I can say that I know what sound is.

The experience at the Rubin Museum was both enjoyable and unique. Walking in to the museum, I had never appreciated sound unless it was the pop music that drowned down other people’s conversations on the train ride to school. Starting from the first floor, right next to the source of all the sound,  I started to realize how calming sound actually was. Walking down the stairs from all the way at the top allowed me to fully experience distance from sound and its effects on the blissful feeling of just listening.

The Museum also contained many interesting artifacts. There were beautiful pictures and detailed sculptures and knives. Our tour guide was extremely kind and knowledgable. She even brought tiny artifacts and her iPad with her to give us more information. She definitely made the tour more exciting because she was super energetic and informative. The trip was one of my favorite and showed me the importance of sound.

Sound, in my mind, is flat. Sound is a means of communication, a method by which animals communicate with each other. Sound is a convenient way to convey information from one organism to another. Sound is vibrations; Sound is limitless. Before I visited the Rubin Museum, I did not know just how incredible sound is.

Sound can be felt; sound can be seen. Sound is versatile and can be transmitted for eternity. Entire cultures and religions are built upon the tenet of sound. The Buddhist religion conveys prayer in one syllable “om.”  Its adherents chant it and use the sound of “om” to connect with their deities. Sound is always around us; Sound is effervescent.

Spending a few hours at the Rubin Museum not only opened up my eyes to this phenomenon, but my ears as well. The historical artifacts and interactive exhibits made the museum fun and exciting. It was wonderful to see how much culture, feeling, history, and emotion can be expressed in one exhibit. After spending a few, enjoyable hours at the Rubin Museum, I now understand: Art is Sound and Sound is Art.