Sound exhibited in art galleries demands scholarly attention. Linnea Semmerling listens to others' listening-interviewing curators and observing visitors across twenty exhibitions since the 1960s. This approach transforms our understanding of sound in art galleries, making a vital scholarly contribution.

Caleb Kelly, Associate Professor of Media Art Theory, UNSW School of Art & Design, Australia

Sounds are ephemeral, energetic and resistant to containment. How is it possible to exhibit them? This book explores the burgeoning role of listening in exhibitions at contemporary art museums since the 1960s, the ingenious techniques used by artists and curators to stage sounding artworks, and the response of visitors – some very attuned and others who tune out. Linnea Semmerling is a brilliant archival researcher and sensory ethnographer, hence the perfect guide for this auditory odyssey. Listening on Display is a soundmark contribution to the sensory studies and multisensory museology literature.

David Howes, author of The Sensory Studies Manifesto (2022)