into the garden

An audio work by Justin Bennett, published by Petit Bardo, 2026

Petit Bardo is a series of sound works and recordings in which sound artists work with the listening act in existential finitude situations. The artists were asked to create a sound work that can be heard by a person in existential finitude (in a relatively short period of time) or a sound work to be heard while someone dies or a sound work that the artists themselves would like to listen to while they die.

“As Roland Barthes pointed out: “The main objective of reading could be to experience a ‘petit mort’ or ‘little death’.” In the same way, this series of sound works can be listened to by all of us mortals with pleasure and without having to be in any of those situations, although we are somehow in them. To listen to these sound works then could be a ‘Petit Bardo’.”

Mikel Nieto (curator)

Money raised from the project is split between the artists and end of life care organisations.

Liner notes:

This piece is based on The Garden, a piece I made after my mother passed away, using only recordings made in her garden as sources. Later, I made more recordings in the garden while my father too was ill. Now the garden for me is just a collection of memories, aided by photographs and these recordings. This new piece takes a different path through the recordings. The sounds to my ears are by turns aggressive, unsettling, soothing and beautiful – a journey with difficulties, struggles but with moments of beauty and moving towards a destination of peace.

dedicated to June and Mike Bennett.

Thanks to Unsounds

Listen on Bandcamp