The volume assembles theoretical essays and artistic contributions engaging with John Cage’s composition 4'33''.

It also includes all original versions of the score as well as the variations, derivations, and extensions of the “silent piece” that Cage produced between 1962 and 1992.

The title Sounds Like Silence, shared by the exhibition and the publication, refers to the paradox at the center of Cage’s work: silence itself resonates—echoing Cage’s statement that “there is no such thing as silence”—while at the same time sound presupposes its opposite, the idea of silence. The project explores fundamental questions of listening: what do we perceive when nothing appears to be heard, how strong is our need for silence, and how much silence can we endure? John Cage’s 4'33'' was first performed on August 29, 1952.