Drawing on long-standing experience in experimental music and sonic arts since the late 1990s, the works of Antoine Chessex engage sound and listening across multiple formats. Emerging from early practice as an improvising saxophonist and a sustained investigation of noise within performance contexts, Chessex’s work has traversed diverse sonic territories.
Upcoming publication: Vrhältnis, collaborative sound work with Dave Phillips to be released in April 2026 by Coherent States (Greece) and Krim Kram (UK).
Le Chien qui pleure
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Le Chien qui pleure. Commissioned by Brandon LaBelle & Errant Bodies for the Listening Biennial, Berlin, Le chien qui pleure (The Crying Dog) is a collaboration between Mélia Roger and Antoine Chessex. The sound piece and installation present an ominous montage of field recordings based on human and more-than-human voices, constructing a detailed sonic situation in which the biosphere merges with the technosphere. This convergence gives rise to an uncanny and potentially fatal encounter.
Rustling voices
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Rustling Voices. Sound installation, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zürich & Artist Residency La Becque, The work explores a specific audiovisual format materialised in an installative setting. Focusing on the affective, relational and social dimensions of sound and listening, as well as their possible interaction with visual documents and texts, the installation seeks to reveal the narrative qualities of rustling voices and their potentiality for unfolding performative articulations. Voices by Engy Mohsen and Tsz Hei Fung. All sound sources recorded from a telephone.
Audio publications (selection):
CD, "Vrhältnis" with Dave Phillips, Coherent States, Greece, 2026
LP, "Saxmix", John Duncan, Ideal Recordings, Sweden, 2024
LP, "Maiandros", Noetinger/Meirino/Chessex, Cave12 éditions, Switzerland, 2022
LP, "Der Verboten", Wide Ears, Switzerland, 2021
LP, "Echo/cide, The Experience of Limit", Tochnit Aleph, Germany, 2020
Digital, "Antoine Chessex/Pat Thomas/Steve Noble/John Edwards", Otoruku, Cafe OTO Live, United Kingdom, 2019
LP, "Subjectivation", Fragment Factory/Absurd, Greece, 2018
CD, "Apartment House, Jérôme Noetinger & Antoine Chessex", Bocian records, Poland, 2016
LP, CD, DVD, "Maja Ratkje's Crepuscular Hour", Rune Grammofon, Norway, 2016
Digital, "Chessex/Noble/Edwards", Ototuku, Cafe OTO Live, United Kingdom, 2016
LP, "Werktag/Chessex/Buess", A Tree in a Field records, Switzerland, 2015
CD, "Multiple, solo work for tenor sax, Musica Moderna, Italy, 2014
CD, "Selected Chamber Music Works", Tochnit Aleph, Germany, 2014
Shoulder Patch & Digital, "Sonic Weapon, Less Lethal vol. 2", Alku, Spain, 2014
LP, "Monno, Cheval Ouvert", Staalplaat, Berlin, 2014
CD, "Monno, Cheval Ouvert", Idiosyncratics records, Belgium, 2013
CD, "Errances", Under Records, Belgium, 2013
CD, "DUST for 3 violins & electronics", Cave12 records, Switzerland, 2011
Tape, "Fools", Blossoming Noise, USA, 2011
LP, "Coi Tormenti", with Valerio Tricoli, Dilemma records, Austria, 2010
LP, "Fools", Tourette Records, USA, 2010
LP, "Terra Incognita", live in Berlin, Aarhus and Hong Kong, Absurd, Greece, 2009
CD,"Calcination", Utech, USA, 2009
7inch, "Power, Stupidity & Ignorance", Petit Mignon, France, 2009
LP, CD, "Monno, Ghosts", Conspiracy records, Belgium, 2008
LP, CD, "Monno, Error", Conspiracy records, Belgium, 2006
CD, "Swiftmachine", Creative Sources, Portugal, 2005
CD, "Kainkwatett", Schraum, Germany, 2004
CD, "Monno, Candlelight Technology", Subdeviant recordings, Belgium, 2003
Compositions for ensembles:
"Re-Miasma", Ensemble Inverspace, Basel, 2024
"Monolithe (caché)", Ensemble Aabat, Bern, 2022
"Technosphere & Fragmentation", for church & hammond organs, Label Suisse Festival, 2020
"Plasticité I-IV, Art Zoyd Studios, Paris, 2020
"La Résonance des Ruines", for ICTUS Ensemble, Brussels, 2019
"Lose", for Ensemble Tzara (Text by Dominic Oppliger), Zurich, 2019
"Echo/Cide", for Hackbretters & Cymbalum, Eklekto, Geneva, 2018
"The Experience of Limit", for piano solo (Tamriko Kordzaia), 2018
"Les Souffles des Voix oubliées", for bass clarinet and percussions, 2018
"On the brink of collapse", solo cello & tape machine, Apartment House, London, 2017
"Raw eht Now", Ensemble NEC, La Chaux de Fonds, 2017
"Les Abîmes Hallucinés", Ensemble Proton, Bern, 2016
"Miasma", Ensemble Inverspace, Biel, 2016
"Entwerkung" for electric guitar & trombone, 2016
"Imperial Dissolution", Anti-Ensemble, LUFF Festival, 2016
"Accumulation", String Quartet & Revox Tape Recorder, Apartment House, London, 2015
"Schatten", String Quartet, Sonar Quartett, Berlin, 2015
"Damage is done", Phoenix Ensemble, Basel, 2014
"Plastic Concrete", Apartment House, London, 2014
"Réducteur de Vitesse", Contrabass clarinet & percussions, 2014
"Decadere", Accordion solo (Jonas Kocher), 2014
"Ritournelle Fulgurante", String trio, oh ton Ensemble, Oldenburg, 2013
"Furia", Ensemble Wertag, Zurich, 2012
"Dans un cascade" for percussions and backtape, 2012
"Chute" for microtonal tuba, violin & percussions, Kammerensemble Neue Musik (KNM), Berlin, 2012
"Metakatharsis", Phoenix Ensemble, 2011
"DUST", 3 violins & Revox Tape Recorder (KNM & Valerio Tricoli), Berhgain, Berlin, 2010
"Resonant Water", Microtonal tuba, bass clarinet, double bass, saxophone, Berlin, 2009
Sound Art & Installation works (selection):
"Solo": International Sound Biennale, Usine de Chandoline, Sion, 2023
"Rustling Voices: A Sonic Inquiry", La Becque, La Tour-de-Peilz & Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zürich, 2023
"Sorrn", Installation with Stéphane Montavon, Bellelay, 2022
"Echologies of listening & non-human voices", 2021-2022
"Shhhshhhhshh", Sonic Fiction for Sounding Kites with Florian Dombois, Research Focus Transdisciplinarity, ZHdK, 2021
"Le Chien qui Pleure", with Mélia Roger, Listening Bieniale, Errant Bodies, Berlin, 2021
"Trahir la Place", Installation with Gilles Lepore & Stéphane Montavon, Espace Multimédia Gantner, 2018
"Les Epneumés" with Stéphane Montavon, Fri-Art, Fribourg, 2016
"L'Appeau" with MML & Stéphane Montavon, 2015
"Root" video works by John Duncan, 2015
"Bolidages", installation for tuned cars, organ and video, with Gilles Lepore & Stéphane Montavon, 2013
"Pantogreffe", site specific installation, Le Pantographe, Moutier, 2013
"Black Milk" with Louise Vanneste, Les Brigitinnes, Brussels, 2013
"Dust", Installation in Kunstraum Aarau, 2011
"Persona" with Louise Vanneste, Brussels, 2011
"Espèce d'espace" with Jérôme Noetinger & Valerio Tricoli, Festival Belluard, Fribourg, 2011
"Deinstallation" with Gilles Aubry & Valerio Tricoli, Diapason Gallery, New York, 2010
"Irrepressible" with Zbigniew Karkowski, Ohrenhoch Gallery, Berlin, 2009
"Flow" with Ulrike Gabriel, Axel Dörner & Gilles Aubry, Codelab, Podewil, Berlin, 2002-2005
Curatorial practice (selection):
Ensemble Nikel, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2026
Maulwerker, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2025
OOR Saloon: Diffraction Works, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2025
Louis Schild & Le Recueil des Miracles, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2024
Ensemble Contrechamps plays Catherine Lamb, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2024
Tomoko Sauvage, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2023
Jalalu Kalvert-Nelson, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2023
Olga Kokcharova & Zainab Lascandri, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2022
Schimpfluch Affiliated Actions. Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2019
Textures Festival 3, Cafe OTO, London, 2019
Textures Festival 2, Instants Chavirés, Paris, 2018
Textures Festival 1, Cafe OTO, London, 2017
Curatorial board, IGNM Zurich, 2016-actual
Film in Sounds, Experimental Cinema, Tilisiter Lichtspiele Kino, Berlin, 2008-2011
Experimental Sound & Noise series, Ausland, Berlin, 2007-2010
Experimental Sound & Noise series, Stralau 68, Berlin, 2005-2008
Flow Series with Ulrike Gabriel, Codelab, Podewil, Berlin, 2003-2005
