Queer Ecotones: Non-binary Reflections on Listening

What might it mean to listen ecologically, to listen in places of tension, to listen beyond binaries?

The term ‘ecotone’ was coined by naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace to describe transitional areas where different ecological communities meet. Ecotones are known for their richness of biodiversity and are often among the first environments to exhibit responses to climate change. Wallace considered these zones as points of tension, naming them after the Greek word for stress (tonos). Incidentally, the words ‘tone’ and ‘tune’, which are used to describe the characteristics of sound, have their origins in the same place.

This online event hosted by Sound Art Lab will take the concept of the ecotone as a metaphorical site to examine what it might mean to listen ecologically, to listen in places of tension, to listen beyond binaries. 

The session will be led by artist Joshua Le Gallienne and will provide a forum for considering sound within a queer framework with a particular focus on ecology. Joshua will start the session with a talk, presenting their research into the history of queer listening and sharing first-hand insights into what a non-binary perspective on sound might entail. The talk will explore the legacies of Thomas Edison and the role language plays in how we experience the world. The second half of the session will be structured as an open conversation where participants will explore listening exercises together and discuss the possible futures of queer listening.

The session is open to all. No prior knowledge or experience of the subject matter is required, only an interest in the topic. The session will be in English.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Joshua Le Gallienne is a non-binary British artist whose work explores the material qualities of sound. Through sculpture, installation, and performance, the artist stages intimate experiences that explore the relationships between sound, physical materials and environmental phenomena. Le Gallienne’s work attempts to challenge expectations of what sound is, how it is experienced, and examine the methods and politics of its production. Their work is unmediated and mostly undocumented in order to place emphasis on experiencing sound in the present moment. In line with this the artist has no website or online presence. Their current research explores non-binary trans perspectives of listening in relation to ecology.

Since 2006 Le Gallienne has presented extensively in the UK and internationally, showing work at over 100 events, exhibitions, and festivals. Recent presentations include: Middlesbrough Art Week, UK (2024); Sound Symposium Festival, Newfoundland CA (2024); IN-SONORA Festival, Madrid ES (2024); Sonic Art Research Unit, Oxford UK (2024); The Engine Room: International Sound Art Exhibition, London UK (2023); [Of Sound], Helsinki FIN (2023); Brighton CCA, UK (2023); 6720 Kaniner Festival, Fanø DK (2022); Nomadic Island, Esch LU (2022); Saari Culture Trail, Hietamäki FIN (2022), Sonorities Festival, Belfast UK (2022).