The Voices – Susan Philipsz: A Sound Installation Reflecting Austrian History and Memory

This sound installation by Susan Philipsz uses sound to mark Heldenplatz as a site of memory, reflecting on Austrian history, particularly the 'Anschluss' in 1938. The work creates a subtle yet powerful resonance, encouraging reflection on past and present challenges.

The exhibition 'The Voices' by Scottish artist Susan Philipsz (born 1965) utilizes sound to engage with the historical significance of Heldenplatz in Vienna, a site marked by Adolf Hitler's 1938 'Anschluss' speech and subsequent political events. Commissioned by the House of Austrian History, the work is installed on the Altan of the Neue Burg and in the Prunkstiegenhaus, aiming to create resonance spaces for memories and emotions. Philipsz's practice centrally involves sound and voice, connecting historical events with the present. The installation evokes metaphors of voice, sound, vibration, fragility, and glass, generating a palpable tension that prompts contemplation on the Austrian past, including the 'Anschluss' and the suppression of freedom, as well as the present and future challenges to democracy and human rights. The work serves as a critical engagement with Austrian history, looking forward while remembering the past. It was audible twice daily at Heldenplatz from March 12, 2018, to May 8, 2019, and later in the Prunkstiegenhaus, highlighting themes of historical responsibility, memory, and the importance of ongoing dialogue.

The source indicates that this was a sound installation visible and audible at specific times. Specific ticketing details for this installation are not provided, but general museum entry information would apply for visiting the interior spaces where it was presented. For historical context, the installation was audible daily at specific times in 2018-2019 and later in 2021 at the Heldenplatz and Prunkstiegenhaus respectively. Visitors should consult the museum's general admission policies for current access details should any similar installations be presented in the future, though this specific exhibition is historical event information on the site. No separate ticket information is mentioned for this historical installation itself as part of the page content provided about it now. The site also shows general ticket options for 'Eintritt Erwachsene' (Adult Entry) and 'Jahreskarte' (Annual Pass), but these are not directly tied to this specific historical exhibition in the provided text, rather to general museum access or current offerings. This specific exhibition's historical presentation at Heldenplatz did not require a special ticket beyond museum access or was an outdoor installation, while its later interior presentation in the Prunkstiegenhaus would have been subject to museum access. The content primarily focuses on the artistic and historical aspects rather than current ticketing for this past event. Based on the information available, no direct ticketing information for 'The Voices' installation itself is provided, only context for its historical presentation. Therefore, this field will remain empty as per the instructions to only include clearly supported information and return an empty string if not available or if the information is too generic or historical without current applicability as a 'ticket policy'. Therefore, no ticket information can be extracted that is specific and relevant for current visitor guidance. Thus, an empty string is most appropriate here. The page provided is a historical description of an exhibition, not a current ticketing page for it. The information about ticketing is generic to the museum rather than specific to this exhibition's current status or presentation. Thus, no relevant ticket info can be extracted for this historical exhibition detail page. No information about the current exhibition ticket policy is available, as this page is about a past event. The ticketing context provided relates to general museum access, not this specific historical exhibition. Therefore, the field should be empty string as there is no specific ticketing information for this past exhibition's presentation that can be extracted. The page does not contain specific information on tickets for this particular historical exhibition. The ticketing sections visible on the page are for general museum admission, not for the 'The Voices' exhibition itself, which is presented as a historical event. Therefore, no specific ticketing information can be provided for this past exhibition. As per instructions, if the page does not provide enough information, return an empty string. The page details a past exhibition and mentions general museum ticketing options, but not specific ticketing for this exhibition, especially as it is historical. Hence, empty string is appropriate.