Laboratory-atelier for creative artists and researchers
Our creative, imaginative relationship with sound has entered a fantastically rich period, facilitated and necessitated by cultural, social and technological evolution. Sound acts as a new parameter in a world evolved from the practices and theory of the visual arts, and as a highly sophisticated art form in music composition and improvisation. It acts as a dimension of the plastic, installation and interactive arts. It provides a perspective on place and time. It is a vital component of environmental art and a conveyor of information, e.g. through sonification. It emerges as algorithmic surface, as the trace of virtuoso improvised performance or of informal social behaviour. And it provides an interface with technology.
Each of these perspectives has its own discourse, practices, techniques, cultural infrastructure and institutions. Sound Arguments is a locus for this rich tapestry, a space that aims to bring together people interested and working with sound with diverse, and complementary, backgrounds. Through sustained cross-fertilisation, participants, guests and conveners together take part in the evolution of new common discourses and individual critical practices.
At each of five monthly, two to three day encounters, participants meet and discuss with invited artists and experts, addressing issues from the abstract to the technical, from the social to the practical. Guest artists and scholars, alongside faculty from Orpheus and ACPA, act as catalysts for sharing and reflection; participants acquire new techniques in workshops and lectures to stimulate and inform practice. Participants are able to share their own projects in a wide-ranging, critical and supportive environment. As a community, we expand horizons, vision and practice – and together hopefully evolve new discourses on contemporary sound-based practices.
Discover our previous editions
An open call for 2027 is planned for the fall; prospective participants will be invited to apply by submitting a brief description of the role of sound in their practice, a small bio, and work examples.
Sound Arguments has no registration fee for participants, regardless of institutional affiliation. We acknowledge that participation comes with expenses in the form of transportation and accommodation. We do our best to minimise those by encouraging selected participants to share accommodation and by providing a list of partner accommodation at discounted prices. We are happy to provide acceptance letters for those securing external funding.
At Sound Arguments we aim to create a safe and inclusive environment for all those involved; we particularly encourage applications from historically under-represented groups in the field. As organisers, we commit to taking that into account during evaluation of the applications received.
General inquiries can be sent to soundarguments@orpheusinstituut.be
