Sound and Silence

22 Mar

An exhibition of contemporary bells.

*Emma-Kate Matthews, photo by Nigel Dutt*

This exhibition in MAKE Southwest's Jubilee Gallery and outdoor courtyard shows the history, making processes, contemporary position and sculptural nature of bells. It brings together 4 sculptors and bellmakers exploring the function and fabrication of bells - Marcus Vergette, sculptor, musician, and bellmaker; Copper Sounds, artist duo exploring 3D digital design and bronze casting; David Snoo Wilson, travelling founder and sculptor, and Emma-Kate Matthews, architect, composer, musician, and digital artist.

The exhibition features sonic sculptures, installations, performances, workshops and live casting. It examines and explains the history and impact, past, present and future, of bell making and bell ringing in an exhibition that will be informative, fun and accessible for all ages, and features plenty of events and chances to make some noise!

WHAT IS A BELL? 🔔🔔 And other questions - education notes for teachers, parents and interested parties! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

22 March – 14 June 2025

Jubilee Gallery

Events

Preview Evening, Friday 21 March, 6pm - 8pm

THE FARM performed by Marcus Vergette and his band, Friday 4 April, 7pm - 9pm

3-Day Bronze Lost Wax Casting Workshop with David ‘Snoo’ Wilson, Wednesday 21 - Friday 23 May, 9.30am - 4.30pm

Hot Casting Demonstration with Ore & Ingot, Saturday 24 May, 2.30pm - 4.30pm

Make a Ceramic Record Workshop with Copper Sounds, Saturday 14 June, 2pm - 4pm

Inside the gallery

Images below of the exhibition taken during March and April 2025 by Nigel Dutt, with many thanks to him.

David Snoo Wilson 'Winter Scarer' surrounded by other works by the artist.

David Snoo Wilson part of the artist's collection.

David Snoo Wilson's 'Diablo' bell, made to a design by Marcus Vergette.

Marcus Vergette's clay bells on ash frame, 'Carillon'

David Snoo Wilson's bells made from different alloys.

Listen

Monocle on Design

Listen to MAKE Southwest’s Exhibitions Manager, Flora Pearson, and Sound & Silence Exhibitor, Emma-Kate Matthews, talk about the importance of bells in this episode (approx. 17min 55 sec in) of the highly-regarded radio show, Monocle on Design.

Listen

BBC Sounds: Illuminated - Bellboy

With his local church falling into disrepair, Marcus Vergette is fighting to save the bells that changed his life and whose sound holds his community together.

Listen

About the exhibitors

David Snoo Wilson | Bristol

David Snoo Wilson is an artist and founder who casts his own work, creating pieces deeply inspired by the intertwined traditions of bells, masks, and European folklore. His practice explores the ritualistic and symbolic power of these, drawing on ancient customs and the unpredictable nature of metal casting.

Wilson’s creations are rooted in folk customs from across Europe, particularly the masked figures of the Mummers of England and the Mamuthones of Sardinia. These traditions feature costumed performers wearing heavy bells and elaborate masks. The bells were believed to ward off evil spirits, drive away winter, or sometimes simply create a loud, chaotic presence to mark seasonal transitions and community gatherings.

By combining the craft of bell casting with the potent imagery of masks, Wilson's work explores the tension between sound and silence, concealment and revelation. His pieces invokes the energy and potency of the furnace and folklore.

@davidsnoowilson

Marcus Vergette | Devon

Marcus Vergette (born 1961) is a sculptor and musician. His work has been exhibited across the UK and Europe including at Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice, Whitechapel Gallery, Bristol Museum, Peninsula Arts, and Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge. He has made public sculpture in Hungary, Armenia, Czech Republic, U.S.A. and at sites across the U.K.

His work is in public collections including, Tate Modern, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, RAMM Exeter, Andreas Institute New Hampshire USA, and The David Attenborough Building at the University of Cambridge.

Over the last twenty years Vergette has been creating a constellation of site-specific bell installations in coastal locations around the UK, designed to toll on the high tide - the Tide and Time Project.

As a musician he has performed regularly with Mike Westbrook, William Butterworth and Jonathan Gee.

As a composer he has won the 2018 PRS new composition award and released his own compositions on Nonclassical Records.

He lives and works in Devon where he and his wife have been farming and practising nature conservation and ecological land management for over thirty-five years.

nightjarrecords.org
timeandtidebell.org

Copper Sounds | Bristol

Copper Sounds are an artist duo who use traditional and contemporary processes to explore the physical and visual nature of sound. Their process is about experimentation and the unknown, trying things out and always thinking directly about how the object and the sound influence and affect one another. They view sound as a malleable material, uniquely manipulating it through the design and creation of sonic objects used in live experimental music performances or immersive sound installations. Recent work has focused on minimalist-inspired compositions, exploring the different acoustic and resonant properties of particular shapes, materials and forms.

In 2018, they toured the UK with the Outlands Network, performing at venues such as Bexhill Pavilion, Arnolfini, MK Gallery, and the Royal Academy. Their piece, Sequenced Ceramics, was showcased at the Bristol New Music festival in 2022, the British Ceramics Biennial in 2023, and the Indian Ceramics Triennial in 2024.

They have been featured on BBC Radio 3’s The Late Junction and in publications like The Wire and The Quietus, International Orange and Freq Magazine. Their music has been released on labels such as TBC Editions, Ceramics, Fractal Meat, Avon Terror Corps, and Slack Alice. They have also participated in collaborative residencies at Art Ichol in Maihar, India, and most recently at Sonoscopia in Porto, Portugal.

@coppersounds

Emma-Kate Matthews | London

Emma-Kate (b. 1986) is an architect, composer, musician, and digital artist exploring the creative intersections of sonic and spatial practices.

Her compositions have been performed at internationally renowned venues, including the Sagrada Familia, the Southbank Centre and the Barbican. She also composed for the London Symphony Orchestra’s prestigious Panufnik residency. As a solo artist, Emma-Kate has released a series of electronic-classical works on acclaimed labels and her music has been broadcast internationally on prominent platforms like BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM, and Tokyo Radio.

As a researcher and academic, Emma-Kate has contributed to many influential publications and served as lead editor for The Routledge Companion to the Sound of Space. Her research has been featured by major outlets like the World Economic Forum, BBC Classical Music Magazine, establishing her as a leading voice in the fields of music, architecture, and sound studies. Her projects have earned nominations for prestigious awards, and her work has been exhibited at many esteemed venues, including the Royal Danish Academy, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and York Art Gallery.

@emmatr0n