ESS is proud to be a part of Millennium Park’s 20th Anniversary year. The urban+nature sonic pavilion is an auditory exhibition that explores how the sounds of nature are hidden and embedded in the soundtrack of the city. Bringing together 10 multichannel compositions from an international roster of sound artists, this program invites visitors to actively listen to the nature rooted in the urban, and to reconsider the obsolete notion that the human and non-human cannot be beautifully reciprocal and entwined.

Free and open to the public, this immersive experience will take place on Millennium Park’s Great Lawn beneath the world-renowned latticed speaker system of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Interactive curatorial discussions will offer additional insights into the creative concepts of the artists.

This exhibition is curated by Giovanni Aloi and Chris Hunter of the Antennae Project, a leading international peer-reviewed publication on the subject of nature in contemporary art, in collaboration with Experimental Sound Studio (ESS).

This year marks the milestone 20th anniversary of Millennium Park — the #1 attraction in the Midwest and among the top 10 most-visited sites in the United States. All season long, the Park will be bustling with free cultural events including a special Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebration (July 18–21). Scheduled to take place almost exactly 20 years since the Park’s official opening on July 16, 2004, this four-day celebration will include activities for families and youth, workouts, new public art, dance performances, and concerts featuring headliners to be announced.

This program is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) with the Grant Park Music Festival and others and made possible through the generous support of the Millennium Park Foundation and others.