Susan Philipsz in "Berlin"

Susan Philipsz introduces the ideas behind her “War Damaged Musical Instruments” sound-based project in this preview of the upcoming “Berlin” episode from Season 9 of the “Art in the Twenty-First Century” television series.

Shown recording a musician playing a bullet-pierced 19th-century bugle, Philipsz notes the fragility of the sound produced when blowing wind through the instrument. “It was really more about the breath,” says the artist. “I became interested in breath being a metaphor for life.”

“Berlin” from Season 9 of Art in the Twenty-First Century premiered September 21, 2018 on PBS. Watch the full episode and artist segment.