HERITAGE SOUNDSYSTEM

Laurin Stecher, the fashion designer-turned-artist spent some time elbow-deep in sawdust learning traditional furniture-making skills (real dovetail joints, not the IKEA kind) and emerged with his new work “Heritage Soundsystem”, a full wooden sound system disguised as your grandmother’s living room cabinet, hiding speakers and subwoofers within. The goal: to blast you off your seat. The Answer: a mix between antique cabinet and basement rave, plus a video and exhibition to match. 

The work was developed in collaboration with engineer and sound designer Hansi Helle. Formally, the project works with wood, fiberglass, and high-gloss lacquer. The contrast between the familiar object form and the unexpected intensity of sound is a central element of the work.

The accompanying film that follows an elderly woman in her home, the bass swallowing the space whole, porcelain trembling off the walls as she remembers, very clearly, what it is to blast your head off. 

“Heritage Soundsystem” is an object- and sound-based project that explores generations, perception, and translation. The starting point is an old kitchen cabinet, which serves as a symbol of the everyday domestic culture of older generations. In addition to the kitchen cabinet, the project includes further objects such as a wall clock, a crucifix, and a sewing box, all equipped with sound. Together, they form an installation that reactivates everyday, generationally coded objects and shifts their perception.