Sound and Silence: Nick Cave’s Soundsuit

As their collective title suggests, the element of sound is integral to Chicago-based artist Nick Cave’s Soundsuit sculptures. Soundsuit 8:46 was made in response to George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis in 2020. Its title includes the initially reported length of time that Floyd was pinned to the ground, 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which became a rallying cry for racial justice. Although the sculpture may not produce sound in the quiet of the museum gallery, its visual power speaks volumes.

Cave trained as a dancer. When his Soundsuits are worn in a performance, they produce sounds based on the materials they are made with, which can range from artificial fur and stuffed animals to vintage toys and ceramic figurines. We might imagine that the plastic flowers and found fabrics of Soundsuit 8:46, hand-sewn and carefully assembled, would create a soft rustle when worn.

One meaning of sound is “to express or convey” as in “sounding the alarm.” Cave began his Soundsuits series following the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991, when he felt powerless and vulnerable as a Black man in the United States. Cave built his first suit from twigs and has stated that “the moment I put it on and started to move, it made sound…and sound at that moment was my call for protest.”

Cave’s colorful and textural suits make noise as they communicate his multilayered experiences as an artist, a dancer, and an African American. His works express the beauty of humanity through craftsmanship, cultural celebration, and performance, while reminding us of the ongoing struggle against bigotry and racial violence.

— Katherine Love, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art

The Floyd Family Center for Social Equity works to honor George Floyd’s legacy by uniting and activating communities to challenge the root causes of racial inequity and end the systemic violence affecting Black Americans. Visit their website at floydfamilycenter.org.

Nick Cave (b. 1959. Lives and works in Chicago.)
Soundsuit 8:46, 2021
Mixed media including vintage textile and sequined appliqués, metal, and mannequin
Museum purchase with funds from the James Jensen Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Art, 2021 (2021-04-01)