To Hear the Earth Before the End of the World (a rephrasing phrasing of poet Ed Roberson's book To See the Earth Before the End of the World) is a light and sound installation organized around elements of air, earth, fire, water, and the aether. The work includes field recordings Hamilton captured during his research and travels to Europe and North and South America where he gained what he calls "a ground zero understanding of our changing Earth. Hearing glaciers cracking, smelling forest fires, the mechanical cacophony of land being razed—all felt on a cellular level.” In this installation, a ring of speakers plays long-form compositions of modulated environmental recordings intermixed with digital and instrumental sounds. Hamilton’s music of landscapes features contrasting sounds of violent eruptions and lulling melodies. Audiences are invited to spend time within a heightened sensory environment wherein Hamilton asks us to listen to the sounds of a changing climate that involves both creation and destruction.

Each week a different element will be featured.

Running times:
aether: 2hr 13min
air: 2hr 05min
earth: 2hr 35min
fire: 2hr 13min
water: 2hr 22min

LaMont Hamilton is the CU Art Museum’s 2022 artist-in-residence.