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When one thinks of the confluence of sound and art, the mind usually clings to the conventions of music - rhythm, melody, the verse-chorus-verse structures of song and so forth. But thanks to Jerusalem's new Sound Gallery, we have an urban space for auditory art forms that are less structured, highly avant garde, textured and fuzz-wash-oriented, and therefore decidedly non-musical.

Yafit Reuveny and Yaniv Kuris, two Jerusalem sound artists, have in recent weeks opened what is essentially the first such space in Jerusalem, or even in Israel, with the goal of taking the very idea of listening to whole new levels.

Located at Astrobolus St. 4, adjacent to alterno-pub Uganda (which granted use of the space to Reuveny and Kuris), the Jerusalem Sound Gallery features exhibits that play to the ears instead of the eyes, the physical realization of increased exposure to the art form.

"Sound art in Israel had experienced a boost in recent years. Nevertheless it's still not a 'force to be reckoned with' when comparing it with other fields of art," Kuris tells GoJerusalem.com. "You can hardly find a sound installation in museums or established galleries. We thought it's a good idea to open the gallery in Jerusalem, because we love the city, and wanted to expose sound art to the locals, giving them the chance to get to know prominent sound artists, and to give emerging artists a place to exhibit their works."

Kuris says the chance to create the sound gallery came out of an encounter between him and Yifat at the Musrara Mix Festival earlier this year. Since then, they have already hosted a number of sound performances at the new venue, currently sohwcasing the works of Ayelet Lerman as part of the Manofim gallery season series of events.

Originally from Tel Aviv, Lerman has emerged as a major player in the Israeli sound art scene, creating installations that explore the space between noise and silence. Her newest installation, "Tapping Rain" (pictured), is a work of water dripping onto various tin cans from different heights, creating a sensation of being in a slow motion downpour.

"It's very delicate, and one has a feeling of becoming immersed in the sounds - you can spend hours there just listening to the falling drops, and it gives you a very unique experience which changes with time and your location within the gallery's space," Kuris says.

With its space being right next to Uganda, and late hours (doors generally open after 20:00), the Jerusalem Sound Gallery walks the fine line between edgy nightlife venue and highbrow art gallery.

"Its location near the Uganda means it attracts a lot of people who are open to art in general, experimental and alternative music, but we also get visitors who are of the 'arty farty' kind," explains Kuris. "And that's the way we like it. Sound art has an appeal for anyone who is ready to experiment, to listen differently. It's the complete open your mind agenda, and you don't to be a scholar for that."