Göteborg Art Sounds, or the GAS-Festival, was founded in 1999. Today it is Sweden’s largest festival for sound art, modern composition, improvisation and electronica.
During the festivals, live performances are intertwined with sound installations, pre-recorded sounds and compositions are mixed with live improvisations and sheet music. During the previous editions of the festival, we have hosted artists such as Laurie Anderson, Kim Gordon, Tan Dun, Pharoah Sanders, the Arditti Quartet, London Sinfonietta, Keith Rowe, Phill Niblock, William Basinski, Machinefabriek, Supersilent, Philip Jeck, Sidsel Endresen, Kangding Ray, Maja Ratkje, Denseland and zeitkratzer to name just a few.
In addition to the musical elements we regularly host public talks, and workshops and seminars are also integral parts of the festival. Göteborg Art Sounds has an international profile and the main focus is to present exciting and relevant contemporary artists. We have ongoing collaborations with other festivals, culture- and educational organizations and promotional networks, both national and international. 2009 - 2023 the artistic director for the festival was Swedish composer and sound artist Staffan Mossenmark. From 2024 the new artistic directors are Stefan Klaverdal (SE) and Clara de Asís.
