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From Washington to Brandenburg: A Sonic Journey
Benoit Maubrey’s artistic journey is as dynamic as his sound-based sculptures. Born in Washington, DC, in 1952 to French parents, Maubrey earned a BA from Georgetown University in 1975 before relocating to West Berlin in 1979. Since 1990, he has lived and worked in Brandenburg, Germany, developing a distinctive practice centered on interactive sound sculptures in public spaces.
His works are not just installations; they’re experiences. Maubrey’s sculptures are often mobile, wearable, or integrated into the architecture of everyday places. Over the years, his creations have engaged communities worldwide, from Vienna and Berlin to Cairo and Quebec. Whether it’s STREAMERS (a COVID sculpture) exhibited in Austria and Germany or SPEAKERS ARENA, presented in Berlin and Quebec, Maubrey brings sound, technology, and people together in unexpected ways.
He has participated in international art residencies in Japan (KAIR Kamiyama, 2015), Canada (Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener, 2018), and the UK (Hull Time Based Arts, 1999), where he collaborated with local artists to develop site-specific works like KARAOKE TORI, ARENA/a SPEAKERS SCULPTURE, and AUDIO IGLOO. His wearable sound pieces, such as AUDIO BALLERINAS and AUDIO PEACOCKS, have lit up venues like Device Art Festival (Zagreb), Zero1 Festival (San Jose Biennale), MOSTRA DES ARTES SESC (São Paulo), and the Ingenuity Festival (Cleveland). In 2006, his pioneering approach earned him a performance award from the Franklin Furnace Fund in New York City.
LIB Esbjörnsson listeners
Interactivity as an Urgent Artistic Language
Maubrey’s sculptures don’t just speak, they listen. The heart of his practice lies in public interaction and sonic participation. Whether it’s through speaker-filled arenas or audio-responsive costumes, his work invites audiences not only to engage with art but to become part of it.
His guiding principle is simple but powerful: let people express themselves. In today’s climate of political polarization and digital overwhelm, Maubrey believes public art must resist the impulse to silence or be directed; instead, it must amplify. He champions participatory experiences that welcome imagination and spontaneity. As he puts it, “Fantasy and fun are basic needs.”
While he doesn’t explicitly anchor his work in current political movements or environmental activism, Maubrey’s pieces naturally reflect democratic values of accessibility and community expression. His approach doesn’t impose a message; it creates space for many.
He also pushes back against fears surrounding free expression. "There is no need for us to be afraid of how people express themselves," he states, advocating for open, unscripted engagement. Governments and cultural institutions should support these opportunities without trepidation.
Arena to Print
Sculpting with Sonic Trash: Technology Meets Sustainability
For Maubrey, the medium is both a tool and a statement. He urges artists to work with “modern materials that are at their disposal,” a philosophy that has led him to incorporate recycled electronics and technological scrap into his sculptures. His use of “electronic trash” becomes both a practical and symbolic response to environmental concerns and digital overproduction.
This commitment to reusing materials aligns naturally with his themes of access, immediacy, and experimentation. Whether installing permanent speaker obelisks or creating temporary performance garments, Maubrey draws from the waste and wires of the modern world to build something interactive, ephemeral, and human.
Art Beyond the Gallery: Living in the Real World
Benoit Maubrey doesn’t see art as confined to galleries or insulated from the everyday. His message to fellow artists and art lovers is direct: “Go out and work with the real world.” For him, public spaces are not just venues; they are collaborators. Streets, squares, and festivals become stages for co-creation, soundplay, and social resonance.
In a world grappling with cultural divides, environmental strain, and the erosion of public discourse, Maubrey’s work is a reminder that art can remain joyful, inclusive, and grounded. His sculptures don’t instruct; they invite. They don’t declare; they respond. And in doing so, they remind us of a simple truth: the public still wants to speak and to be heard.
To explore more of Benoit Maubrey’s captivating artwork and follow his artistic journey, visit his social media profiles and stay updated on his latest exhibitions and creations:
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