Sonic Fragments: Narrative and Mediation in Sound Art :: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ :: March 28-29, 2008 :: Call for Works: Deadline: February 15, 2008

We hear while we are in the womb, long before we see. For the rest of our lives, hearing essentially precedes the rest of the sensorium, as we move through a world of sonic fragments which affect us phenomenally and emotionally but of which we are often unaware. These fragments are mediated by our environment, our bodies, our individual and collective memories, and the technologies that pervade contemporary life: from books to radio to television to iPods. Through these mediations sounds give rise to stories, which though they might be as hazy as an aura, begin to narrate the world we move through as they themselves move through our bodies and minds.

Sonic Fragments is a sound art festival and symposium exploring how these mediations effect meaning in our lives, and how artists are actively engaging narrative and mediation in their work. We are hoping for a diverse and interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars and artists, between theory and practice.

Central to the festival will be the presentation of works written specifically for mobile mp3 players which engage the spaces, places, objects, and paths on or near the Princeton University campus. We are soliciting works of ten minutes or less. These works will be available on mp3 players at a kiosk throughout the festival, downloadable from the festival website, and may also be compiled onto a limited edition CD-R for later distribution.

Sound works may be created for any location on or near campus. We are hoping that people will engage Princeton’s weird nooks and crannies as well as its wonderful art collection, perhaps atop one of the many Neogothic towers, inside Henry Moore’s sculpture Oval with Points, or in front of Ellen Gallagher’s large-scale Blubber. We hope that each piece will exhibit a distinct relationship to its site. Existing works which are not site-specific will not be considered.

A few resources to help you find a site:

Most crucially, you must visit and just poke around. New Jersey Transit (about 1 hr, 15 minutes from NYC) http://www.njtransit.com.

But to get a taste of what the campus is like…

Princeton University
http://www.princeton.edu

Wikipedia Entry on Princeton University
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton_University

Campus Scenes
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pictures/#scenes

Flickr Photos of Princeton
http://flickr.com/search/?q=princeton

Orange Key Virtual Tour
https://www.princeton.edu/oktour/virtualtour/index.htm

Princeton University Art Museum
http://www.princetonartmuseum.org

Putnam Collection of Sculpture
https://www.princeton.edu/oktour/virtualtour/Hist10-OvalPoints

Princeton University: An Interactive Campus History
http://etcweb.princeton.edu/Campus

Please send an email containing the following to sonicfragments[at]gmail.com by February 15:

1. A short (200-word max) description of your project as it relates to the site
2. A short (100-word max) bio
3. The completed piece (10 minutes or under)
4. A photo or graphic which can be used as your ‘album art’ – we suggest a photo of the site.

Deadline: February 15, 2008

For more information, please contact Betsey Biggs at sonicfragments[at]gmail.com