Sonic Romanticism

It is time to burst the sonic bubble. Emerging as a response to alienation under capitalism, there have been various turns toward sonic forms as a way of recovering an inclusive, immersive relational experience that has been lost in the unfolding of Western subjectivity. However, this tendency necessitates a turning away from recognising how sound itself is entangled and implicated in processes of alienation.

In this online session led by Stephen McEvoy, they will outline the idea of “sonic romanticism” which describes this tendency in detail. Beginning as a talk and ending as an open discussion for all participants, the session will also represent a place for thinking with the creation of new frameworks and theories for describing sound, and the wider sonic field.

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

Stephen McEvoy (b. 1987, IE/DK) is an artist who works with sound, writing, performance and sculpture. They research how the sonic field intertwines with politics, power, and the body. With a practice rooted in the intuitive exploration of sonic materiality, they trace sound as an unfolding political formation—at once a sensory field, cultural construction, artistic medium and process in its own right. They have presented work in spaces such as Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Cafe OTO, Fylkingen, Medicinsk Museion and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.