Matt Walker transforms the aural landscapes of urban and industrial sites by reintroducing an organic soundscape. Delivered from the mouth of an enormous cannon, and focused with the use of parabolic reflectors, this reintroduction of dislocated, natural sounds provokes an opportunity to reflect on both the human impact on the landscape and the layered history of that particular site.
Matt Walker lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario. His sculpture based practice is an exploration of materials and place, where he engages in forms of poetics that are both conceptual and material in nature. His exploration of materials and process reflects his interest in landscape and the models we use for understanding place.
His project, Device for the Emancipation of the Landscape, uses temporary site-specific action to aurally disrupt sites of specific contextual interest. An online archive for this project serves some of the content, research, observations, and experiences of the interventions.
Matt has shown internationally and has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council and The Alberta Foundation for the Arts. He completed his MFA at the University of Calgary and spent 8 years working and studying at The Banff Centre (Banff, Alberta). Matthew has be in residence at Plug-in ICA (Winnipeg), Artfarm (Nebraska), and The Centre for Innovation in Culture and the Arts in Canada (Kamloops).
