Nigel Helyer is an English-born, Sydney-based sound artist, lecturer at Sydney College of the Arts, and co-founder of SoundCulture, a Pan-Pacfific organisation focusing on sound art. Helyer's work is of an essentially composite, or in his words "pluridisciplinary", character, in the sense that not only does any given piece incorporate a range of media, but many are part of a series of "events" (one or several?) including other pieces, other artists, other countries, radio broadcasts, internet links, CD's, and CD-Roms. In Australia he most recently featured as one of the 5 finalists of the new Contempora 5 art competition, now Australia's largest (in monetary terms) art prize, the winner receiving A$100 000 over two years, this year awarded to Fiona Hall. Helyer's piece, Silent Forest was acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria and, somewhat controversially, publically received a personal commendation by Victoria's Premier and Arts Minister, Jeff Kennett.
