While the UvA is certainly no stranger to creativity, it might surprise you to discover that one of the newest art installations on campus was recently set up at Science Park. “The Noise Gap”, a sound art installation that aims to highlight the issue of gender discrimination in academia will be set up until the 14th of April for anyone who would like to visit. On the 5th of April, we attended the opening ceremony for the project to find out more about this unconventional and extremely relevant piece of art.
The team behind this project consists of Mieke de Roo, lecturer at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies and artist, and four students from the Beta-gamma bachelor’s program: Cile van Marken, Annabel Zwarts, Hilal Demirel, and Simone Flipse. Alongside them for this opening ceremony were, among others, Peter van Tienderen, Dean of the Faculty of Science, who talks about the progress the UvA has made to combat gender inequality and his hopes for the future of the faculty.
Before the opening officially begins we get a few minutes to chat with Sarita, a PhD student from the anthropology department who has also added her own voice to the recordings. ‘I especially appreciated the anonymity,’ she tells us. While gender discrimination is definitely not a taboo topic, it’s often difficult to approach in academic environments- and sometimes it’s even difficult to notice, even as a woman. By taking part in this Sarita hopes to draw attention to these issues and encourage others to examine and address their own experiences with gender bias.
During the first stage of the project 70 women, students and faculty alike spoke about their own issues involving gender bias or read out the abstract for a scientific paper on the subject. These recordings could be heard in the main hall of the Uva science campus echoing from seven different speakers arranged in a circle on tripods of varying heights. Walking past them or standing in the centre it’s hard to make out any of the individual voices, it’s only when you step closer to one of them and really pay attention that you can hear what’s being said. ‘It’s not just about speaking, it’s about listening.’ Sarita tells us.
A unique feature of the recordings is the tone: a whisper. In fact, this seems to be one of the most controversial aspects of the project, ‘Many people asked about the whispering- it’s an injustice, why not scream and shout about it?’ says Mieke de Roo, one of the creators. There may be many answers to this question but in the end, Sarita’s words might explain it best: it is about anonymity. By pressing your ear close to the speakers and trying to tune out the jumble of conversation and noise, it becomes even clearer.
Anyone who still wants to participate -regardless of gender- is encouraged to visit Science Park and record their own experience with gender discrimination. Who knows? You might even get to meet some of the wonderful people behind the Noise Gap!