A solar-powered object in a wooden triangular frame sits on vibrant green grass. In the background, bare trees and a stone wall are visible under a clear blue sky.

 

Presented by the Center for the Humanities' Hearing Place StudioLab, in partnership with Mizzou New Music Initiative, Department of Geography, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the Budds Center for American Music Studies, “Sun Boxes” transforms Mizzou’s landscape into a living musical environment where visitors become part of the composition simply by walking through campus. 

Internationally acclaimed sound artist Craig Colorusso brings his immersive installation, “Sun Boxes,” to the University of Missouri on Sept. 22, 2026. Taking place on the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are nearly equal in length, this solar-powered installation evolves throughout the day, changing its sounds as the sun moves across the sky.  

“Sun Boxes” will travel across three locations on campus: 

  • 9-11 a.m. — Kuhlman Court 
  • 1-3 p.m. — Francis Quadrangle 
  • 5-7 p.m. — Pickard Plaza with student composition/MU Improv Collective premiere 
  • 7:10 p.m. (sunset) — Installation ends 

The installation consists of 20 solar-powered speakers, each independently playing a continuously looping guitar note. Together, the notes create a sustained B-flat chord, but because every loop is a different length, the composition is constantly shifting and evolving. No two listening experiences are exactly alike. 

Unlike a traditional concert, “Sun Boxes” is an environment that its audience can enter and leave at their own pace. As guests move among the speakers, nearby sounds become more prominent while others recede, creating a unique composition based on each person's location within the installation. The work invites participants to slow down, wander, and discover how movement, sound and space continually reshape the listening experience. 

As Colorusso explains, “‘Sun Boxes’ is my way of improvising with Mother Nature, creating a collaboration between technology and the natural world.” 

“Sun Boxes” is hosted by the Center for the Humanities' Hearing Place StudioLab, an interdisciplinary initiative exploring how listening shapes our understanding of place. The StudioLab brings together faculty from across disciplines to examine the cultural, artistic, and environmental dimensions of sound while engaging the public through immersive experiences and collaborative research.  

“‘Sun Boxes’ reminds us that listening is a way of knowing place and that how we listen shapes how we understand where we are,” says Dr. Soren Larsen, professor of Geography. 

Since premiering in 2009, “Sun Boxes” has traveled to parks, museums, sculpture gardens and universities in more than 30 states and internationally, becoming Colorusso's best-known work. The installation has been celebrated by audiences for transforming public spaces into contemplative environments where sound, light, and nature exist in balance. 

Admission is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to stop by for a few minutes or stay for hours as the installation evolves throughout the day. Every visit offers a different experience, making “Sun Boxes” a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the relationship between music, technology, and the natural environment.