Felippe Moraes
Tubos Sonoros (Sound Tubes), 2014
Stainless steel, painted steel sheet and acrylic
Variable dimensions
The series Tubos Sonoros (2014), by Felippe Moraes, is a sound sculpture that only fully comes into being in the presence of the viewer’s body. To experience the work, visitors must bring their ear close to the ends of the metal cylinders and listen to the resonances emerging from within them, in a gesture reminiscent of listening to the sea inside a shell.
Each tube emits a distinct musical note. Moving along the sequence of cylinders, it is possible to hear the notes in order — as though following a tonal scale — or to explore them freely, creating new combinations and sonic relationships.
The Tubos Sonoros were developed in collaboration with sound engineers. Each cylinder was made of stainless steel and cut to specific dimensions so that it could softly emit a particular musical note.
The sculpture was tuned to produce eight notes, from C to the C an octave above. The frequency of each sound is determined by the size of the tube: the larger the cylinder, the lower the note; the smaller it is, the higher the sound.
The vibrations are not projected into space as with a conventional musical instrument. They manifest as a discreet sonic breath, audible only when the visitor draws close to the air outlets and listens attentively.
In Tubos Sonoros, the sculpture turns industrial matter into an instrument of perception. Stainless steel, usually associated with rigidity and structure, is reorganized to reveal barely perceptible acoustic properties.
The work thus investigates the possibility of drawing music from a minimal configuration of matter. The viewer becomes an active part of this process: by bringing their ear close, they activate an intimate, silent listening experience, in which each tube reveals its note and each path composes a new sequence of sounds.
Selected Exhibitions
- 2025 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Curitiba (Paraná, Brazil)
- 2025 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- 2024 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Brasília (Distrito Federal, Brazil)
- 2019 – Solfejo – Centro Cultural FIESP (São Paulo, Brazil)
- 2014 – Ordem – Baró Galeria (São Paulo, Brazil)