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Radio Kennedy Van der Laan

"We use our voices as an instrument to express our ideas and wishes. We take the use of our voice so for granted that we hardly notice its role in our lives. This project makes the observer conscious of the use of voice. The project takes on an extra dimension in the context of a law firm - where this project is being performed - since attorneys' work depends heavily on the use of their voices."

The quote comes from Nathalie Bruys (1975), a "sound artist" well-known within Kennedy Van der Laan. In 2005 she designed and produced "Silence at Work" at Kennedy Van der Laan. That project offered a series of surprises for employees and visitors. Live falcons appeared in the entry hall of the law firm and the reactions of employees and visitors were filmed. Employees having lunch in the office cafeteria were surprised by a flying visit from one of the falcons. Dancers wearing toga's (the classic black robes worn by Dutch attorneys in court) interrupted an internal meeting.

In 2006 Nathalie was awarded the Dutch Volkskrant Art prize, based on the Silence at Work project. The jury found her work "both intelligent and sensitive."

Kennedy Van der Laan has again commissioned Nathalie Bruys to create a new performing arts project as part of the law firm's 15th anniversary celebration. Voice and sound play an important role in the new project. Nathalie explains: "Saved by Voices is a project that emphasizes the power of the voice. Sound is the most direct form of communication. It is nearly impossible to avoid. You can look away from visual art but you can't avoid sound art. Sound touches us intensely; some frequencies have their impact deep within us."

Just as with "Silence at Work", Nathalie has complete freedom in her artistic choices in the project. She explains: "For the previous project I also had complete freedom in my artistic choices, a freedom which reflects a high level of trust in and respect for my work. This is the only way I can carry out a commissioned project."