The Museum of Portable Sound

Jul 20

Jul 20 The Museum of Portable Sound

The Museum of Portable Sound is an experimental curatorial project begun in November 2015. I serve as the Museum's Director and Chief Curator. The Museum also has an advisory Board of Directors made up of artists, curators, and other academic and creative industry professionals from around the world.

The Museum is portable, existing on a single mobile phone. Open hours are by appointment or by bumping into me on the street. The Museum's Permanent Collection Galleries of sounds are made up of 317 objects on display in 30 galleries, adding up to nearly 9 hours of potential listening time. Visitors listen to the objects on display accompanied by a Museum Map and a printed copy of the Museum's Gallery Guide. There is also a collection of Physical Objects in the Museum's archive which can be requested for viewing when arranging a visit.

The Museum's Exposition Space hosts temporary exhibitions. There have been four temporary exhibitions so far, featuring the work of artists Ryan Maguire (US), Jessica Akerman (UK, guest curated by Irene Noy), and Daniel Toca (Mexico, guest curated by Cristina Sousa Martínez).

The fourth and most recent temporary exhibition is Portable Sound In Cinema 1979-2000, which I curated as a critical look at the portrayal of portable audio technologies in late 20th Century film.

The Museum also offers a continuing education course, Listening to Museums, a synthesis of deep listening practices and museum theory. Museum of Portable Sound Press publishes books, an educational tool entitled A Deck of Portable Sound Cards™, and an online magazine.

To visit the Museum, simply fill out the Contact form on the Museum's website to arrange an appointment. Memberships are also available. For help planning your visit, please refer to the Museum's Visitor Information.

Website: museumofportablesound.com

Twitter: @museumsound

Facebook: MuseumofPortableSound

Instagram: MuseumofPortableSound

The Museum of Portable Sound on Exhibition Road, London, 2017.

Map of the Museum of Portable Sound museum campus, circa 2019.

Museum Director and Chief Curator John Kannenberg poses with The Museum of Portable Sound at its Grand Opening Gala, November 2015

The Museum waits inside its vitrine at its Grand Opening Gala, November 2015

Professor Angus Carlyle performs his duties as master of the Museum's ribbon cutting ceremony, Grand Opening Gala, November 2015

Angus Carlyle cuts the ribbon officially opening MOPS.

MOPS during its ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Museum's official mug and the first edition of its Gallery Guide book

One of the Museum's official tote bags

The Museum's first visitor, Board Member C.J. Mitchell

The Museum of Portable Sound Acquisitions Department collecting the sound of Big Ben's final regular 'bongs' before a 4-year silence for a long-term restoration project.

Museum of Portable Sound Collections Staff hold the museum's copy of the first commercially released Compact Disc, part of the museum's Physical Objects Collection.

Accepting a donation to the Museum's Physical Object Collections: a Ukranian radio, circa 1989

A Deck of Portable Sound Cards, produced by Museum of Portable Sound Press.

Group visit, Vienna Museumsquartier.

The oldest MOPS visitor so far – in her 90s – shares a joke with museum Director John Kannenberg.

Ethnomusicologist Meri Kytö visits the Museum inside the British Museum

MOPS Director John Kannenberg leads a seminar with MA students at the Royal College of Art in Hyde Park, London.

Supervising a visit to the Museum in the lobby at the University of Westminster, original meeting place of the band members of Pink Floyd

Museum Director John Kannenberg conducting a session of Listening to Museums, a continuing education course offered by the Museum of Portable Sound Education Department, at Tate Modern.

Museum Director John Kannenberg leading a soundwalk in the Mathematics Gallery at the Science Museum, London, as part of the Listening to Museums continuing Education course.

Visitors to the Museum at the Art Arcana event at Dead Doll's House, Islington, 2016

Exposition Space artist Jessica Akerman (foreground) and guest curator Dr. Irene Noy onstage during the private view artist talk for her exhibition, July 2016.

Curator Cristina Sousa Martínez (left) & Director John Kannenberg take questions from the audience at the Museum's Grand Re-Opening event and private view at Chalton Gallery, King's Cross, Nov. 2016.

The First Annual Museum of Portable Sound Lifetime Achievement Award For Audio Heritage, awarded to 'father of the podcast' former MTV VJ Adam Curry in 2018.