American artist Christine Sun Kim uses the language of sound to dismantle its power, translating the politics of hearing into visceral, physical experiences. Born deaf, Kim explores how oral language acts as a form of social currency, using American Sign Language (ASL) and musical notation to challenge the way we communicate. In FOR EVER, she responds to the chapel-like architecture of Mudam’s Pavilion, turning the space into a testament to the enduring presence of the Deaf community against centuries of erasure.

You're watching four monumental turquoise canvases that trace the rhythmic, elongated outlines of the word forever in ASL. The room hums with low-frequency soundscapes created with Matt Karmil, vibrations that you feel in your chest rather than hear with your ears. A lacquer record player spins at the center, its slowly deteriorating surface marking the tension between the temporary and the eternal, while semi-transparent foils on the windows catch the shifting Luxembourg light.

• Architectural Dialogue: The site-specific installation occupies Mudam's glass-walled Pavilion, transforming the museum's unique geometry into a resonant chamber for social advocacy.
• Sonic Materiality: Experience sound not as a melody, but as a physical force through low-frequency vibrations that challenge the traditional boundaries of sensory perception.
• Rare Scale: This commission features massive sculptural canvases in a specific turquoise hue, a rare opportunity to see Kim’s graphic ASL interpretations rendered with such weight and volume.

Walk slowly through the glass corridor connecting the main building to the Pavilion, noticing how the semi-transparent foils on the windows flicker between visibility and ghostliness. Once inside the main space, stand close to the sound source to let the vibrations anchor you, then move back to see how the turquoise canvases interact with the sky outside. After leaving, wander through the surrounding Park Dräi Eechelen to process the exhibition’s themes of permanence amidst the quiet greenery of the old fortifications.