WAVES: NOBEL SCIENCE x IMMERSIVE ART – WORLD PREMIERE USA 2025
WAVES
WORLD PREMIERE
10th Anniversary Global Celebration
LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Observatories
Colorado State University: Griffin Concert Hall
8 Sep 2025
ARTIST STATEMENT
“For nearly a decade I have worked with leading LIGO scientists to transform gravitational wave data into an immersive artwork, extending contrapuntal Studio’s independent research across astrophysics, genetics, neuroaesthetics, and sonification,” says Skepper. “Art provides a vehicle to translate complex science into experiences people can feel, a vital form of public engagement. It is an honour to serve as international artistic lead for this milestone 10th anniversary and to present ongoing R&D around this project and the work of my studio on a global stage.”
MEDIA RELEASE
WAVES – Benjamin Skepper Debut in the US
International Lead Artist transforms gravitational wave data into immersive performance art for the 10th anniversary of Nobel Prize-winning science
WAVES: Sonic Ripples in Spacetime
Australian artist and composer Benjamin Skepper makes his US debut in the world premiere of his latest work WAVES at Griffin Concert Hall, Colorado State University on 8 September. His performance forms part of the official celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the first detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO–Virgo collaboration, recognised with the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
This milestone performance is the culmination of nearly a decade of independent research and sustained collaboration with leading LIGO scientists Susan Scott (ANU), Mark Favata (Montclair State University) and Rob Coyne (University of Rhode Island).
Skepper’s self-initiated, multi-sensory performance work draws directly from raw gravitational wave data recorded by the international LIGO scientific community: translating black hole collisions and neutron star mergers into a richly spatialised immersive soundscape. This premiere also marks a rare instance of an artist-led intervention at a leading scientific summit, embodying a new model of public engagement at the frontier of art, physics, and immersive experience.
ABOUT THE WORK
WAVES is a site-specific sound work derived from gravitational wave data and realised through cutting-edge spatial audio. It invites listeners into a meditative encounter with cosmic space phenomena, bridging artistic and scientific inquiry through sonification, electro-acoustic composition, and deep listening.
Developed outside institutional commissioning pathways, this artist-led project embodies Skepper’s long-form, purpose-driven research practice, at the frontier of sound, physics, and human perception.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Benjamin Skepper is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Melbourne, Australia. As Founder of contrapuntal Studio + Art Salon, for nearly 2 decades he’s led a global platform for cross-disciplinary R&D, performance, and immersive installations: a creative studio that challenges disciplinary silos and fosters new futures in listening, engaging diverse audiences across artforms and borders.
His career spans projects from the Hermitage Museum, Sydney Festival, Science Gallery, Moscow State Conservatory, and National Gallery of Australia, to collaborations with global brands like Yohji Yamamoto, Dom Pérignon, and the Dalai Lama. His research about music and genetics is published by MIT Press, and with a legal background in human rights and a deep commitment to wellness and cultural diplomacy, his work activates art as a vehicle for collective transformation.
LOOKING AHEAD
The world premiere of WAVES at Colorado State University for the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA celebration is the first realisation of a larger immersive audio-visual artwork in creative development. The project is intended for museums, festivals, touring and other institutions internationally.
