The Politics of Listening, Artist presentation at Oscillation series, Berlin

Rachel O’Dwyer – Media Publics: The Politics of Listening Together

Recent transformations in media practices through digitally networked platforms have chronicled a shift from traditional media audience models towards ‘media publics’, reflecting the active and engaged stance that this term infers. Today’s media publics, it can be argued, are not passive receivers, but are directly contributing to the critique, production and dissemination of contemporary culture.

This talk will explore this condition by focusing on the evolution of contemporary listening practices in response to the proliferation of mobile, networked and reproduction technologies. In light of changing media ecologies, how might we understand listening, as opposed to discursive practices, as publically and politically orientated? What opportunities exist for political consensus, action, or resistance through these new ways of listening together?

Gilles Aubry: Artist Presentation

For the Sonic Theories series, Gilles Aubry will present some of his recent artistic works, including Hi-Fi Borders (2010), an installation combining a research on the transformation of the Swiss-French border within the Schengen context and a critical analysis of surround sound technology, Outside of the Plane (2008), an installation based on a conversation about airplanes sounds with Egyptian sound artist Magdi Mustafa and Reversible Sound Wall (2011), an installation created for the outdoor art exhibition “Art en plein Air 2011” in Môtiers, Switzerland. These works will serve as an introduction for discussing several artistic strategies related to political aspects of sound production and reception within various contexts.

Oscillation Series No. 9
date: 29th of May 2011, Sun. 8pm
title: The Politics of Listening
with: Rachel O’Dwyer and Gilles Aubry (moderated by Jan Thoben and Shintaro Miyazaki)
place: General Public, Schönhauser Allee 167c, Berlin.