Susan Philipsz: Songs Sung in the First Person on Themes of Longing, Sympathy and Release

Perched on SFMOMA's seventh-floor terrace with sweeping city views, this contemplative sound installation features Scottish artist Susan Philipsz performing intimate, unaccompanied renditions of beloved songs by artists including The Smiths, Soft Cell, and Gram Parsons. Making its U.S. debut, the work exemplifies Philipsz's distinctive approach to sound art—using the emotional resonance of familiar popular music to explore how our sense of self and connection to place are shaped by our surroundings, from architectural elements to the ambient sounds of the urban landscape.