Colin Siyuan Chinnery

Beijing-based British sound artist, curator and critic Colin Siyuan Chinnery, whose Chinese name is Qin Siyuan (秦思源), will give a lecture on sound art and his Beijing Sound Museum in Shenzhen on Sunday. Entry is free and no sign-up is necessary.

Born in Edinburgh in 1971, Chinnery’s father is famed British sinologist John Chinnery (1924-2010) and his mother Chen Xiaoying is a former BBC journalist. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and literature from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, the young Chinnery worked in the British Library and British Council. Since 2002, he has been based in Beijing, doing sound projects and curating exhibitions.

In 2014, he founded Beijing Sound Museum in an old quadrangle in Shijia Hutong in central Beijing’s Dongcheng District, exhibiting his sound works. The quadrangle used to be the home of late modernist writer Ling Shuhua (1900-1990), Chinnery’s grandmother.

Chinnery has spent 15 years searching the entire capital for sounds to record, such as the shouts of hutong vendors, the intercom relaying announcements to passengers on Beijing taxis and buses, the morning chats of early-bird exercisers in parks and the special sound from whistles attached to Beijing pigeons. Chinnery said the sounds of Beijing are unique and interesting but vanish quickly as the capital develops. “Sounds carry the history and culture of a city,” said Chinnery in an earlier interview, explaining that he hopes to use these sounds to invoke certain feelings in people.

Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m., Jan. 28

Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum, Overseas Chinese Town, 9013 Shennan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区深南大道9013号华侨城何香凝美术馆)

Metro: Line 1, OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C(Cao Zhen)