Sound Dramaturgies: repoliticizing performance

ABSTRACT

Sound Dramaturgies: repoliticizing performance – The paper explores the potential of sound to repoliticize theatre and performance. By examining the activity and dramaturgical practices of the multimedia art collective Medea Electronique (Greece), it highlights contradictions of contemporary art, particularly the continuous transition from ‘everything is political’ to ‘no, not everything is political’ and vice versa. From a post-Brechtian perspective, the political function of art lies in preserving the diverse sensibilities at the core of art’s autonomy. This entails avoiding that art be reduced to a post-political gesture or aligning it too closely with everyday aestheticized experiences.

Keywords:
Sound Art; Dramaturgy; Performance; Installation; Digital Art

RESUMO

Dramaturgias Sonoras: repolitizando a performance – O artigo explora o potencial do som para repolitizar o teatro e a performance. Ao examinar a atividade e as práticas dramatúrgicas do coletivo de arte multimídia Medea Electronique (Grécia), destaca as contradições da arte contemporânea, particularmente a transição continuada do ‘tudo é político’ para ‘não, nem tudo é político’ e vice-versa. Do ponto de vista pós-brechtiano, a função política da arte reside em preservar as variadas sensibilidades no cerne da autonomia da arte. Isso implica evitar que a arte seja reduzida a um gesto pós-político ou que esteja demasiadamente alinhada com as experiências estetizadas cotidianas.

Palavras-chave:
Arte Sonora; Dramaturgia; Performance; Instalação; Arte Digital

RÉSUMÉ

Dramaturgies Sonores : repolitiser la performance – L’article explore le potentiel du son pour repolitiser le théâtre et la performance, à travers l’art de la dramaturgie. En examinant l’activité et les pratiques dramaturgiques du collectif d’art multimédia Medea Electronique (Grèce), il met en lumière les contradictions de l’art contemporain, autrement dit le passage continu du ‘tout est politique’ au ‘non, l'intégralité des sujets ne revêt pas une dimension politique’ et vice versa. Dans une perspective post-brechtienne, la fonction politique de l’art réside dans la préservation des diverses sensibilités qui constituent le noyau de l’autonomie de l’art. Cela implique d’éviter que l’art soit réduit à un geste post-politique ou qu’il s’aligne trop étroitement sur les expériences esthétisées quotidiennes.

Mots-clés:
Art du Son; Dramaturgie; Performance; Installation; Art Numérique

Introduction

The dramaturgy of sound, the art of sound, can ‘repoliticize’ the theater. Our concern does not primarily involve the relationship between music, sound, and theater and the performing arts, but rather focuses on sound dramaturgy and how theater can be politicized through sound. Sound can be used to convey power dynamics, social issues, and cultural identities. For example, the use of certain accents, dialects, or soundscapes can evoke specific social or historical contexts, thereby contributing to the political discourse of a play. The manipulation of sound levels, frequency, and rhythm can affect the audience's perception of time and space, creating a unique temporal and spatial experience that challenges conventional theatrical norms (Larmet, 2022, p. 5-7). For LaBelle (2020a; 2020b) the powerful, often hidden, impact of sound has remarkable potential to drive political change. LaBelle categorizes sound’s strength into four key dimensions: the invisible, the overheard, the itinerant and the weak, arguing that these aspects can help create unconventional, “unlikely publics” where mutual support and dissent thrive. In this paper, we will address not whether sound is inherently ‘political’, but rather how the theatre can regain its ‘political’ essence through sound. Simultaneously, the stage operates as a site of dichotomy and dissensus, displaying divisions and oppositions rather than consensus (Loraux, 1999; Rancière, 2010).

The aesthetic and political realms intersect in what Rancière terms the “distribution of the sensible”, the delineation and reconfiguration of spaces, times, visibility, and audibility (Rancière, 2004). Sound has the potential to renew, transform, and fortify theater, accentuating its perception as a ritual, an art of the living, an art of the polis. It has the capacity to make theatre dangerous (radical) again, fostering a connection with communities and challenging the visual hegemony of the Western tradition. Our auditory environments are embedded in historical contexts – at the intersections of specificities and universality – of masses, classes, and individualities, of achievements and ongoing transformations, of potentialities and inevitable outcomes.

Chantal Mouffe suggested that “One cannot make a distinction between political art and non-political art, because every form of artistic practice either contributes to the reproduction of the given common sense - and in that sense is political - or contributes to the deconstruction or critique of it. Every form of art has a political dimension” (Mouffe et al., 2001).

However, following Olivier Neveux’s radical thought (Neveux, 2019), we might say that the mantra ‘Everything is political’ was, at the time it appeared, what revealed the power relations that structure social life: the invisible, insidious power in romantic relationships, in everyday life, in what is not openly avowed as political. The affirmation attacked the illusory haze of social relations. But now, ‘Every project is political’ most often means the opposite. ‘Everything is political’, is such a general expression, which because of its neutral connotations, has finally prevailed as the most suitable means of carrying the dominant ideology, making it indisputable.

This article delves into this issue by examining the work and methodologies of the artistic collective Medea Electronique¹, based in Greece. Both authors of the article are members of Medea Electronique, participating as curator-dramaturge and sound-artist respectively. The collective, through its multimedia performances and immersive works, utilizes sound as its principal narrative tool and sound design to construct sonic environments within which action unfolds. Sound dramaturgy positions the experimental chaos of the world at its core, engaging deeply with speech by deconstructing and reconstructing it, thus elevating the spoken word to a pivotal moment within the performance. With each new production, a distinct sensation emerges: theatre and politics mutually provoke and disturb each other, but only when they liberate themselves from whatever confines and regulates their interaction, fostering a dynamic and unsettling relationship.

The collective's engagement in larger initiatives has often prompted a subsequent return to smaller-scale endeavors, from urban to rural projects, often self-funded and involving collaboration with emerging artists and students, underscoring the significance of scale (Murchu; Jansa, 2023). This process serves the collective's goal to continually redefine its identity, striving to preserve its core values centered on the enjoyment of creative expression and collective collaboration. It is worth noting that members of Medea Electronique do not rely on the group as a primary source of income; instead, they pursue freelance work or academic endeavors in related fields. Furthermore, the group deliberately refuses to operate as a conventional production company.

What appears to be lacking in Medea Electronique and similar groups or artists is a coherent ideological framework or manifesto aimed at affecting tangible societal change. Nevertheless, their adoption of a postBrechtian approach to reality, the collaborative nature of their artistic endeavors coupled with the absence of individual authorship, the novel aesthetic experiences they impart to audiences, their strategic use of digital media, an emphasis on issues of attention and care, and the reiteration of theatre as a celebratory “hyper-medium” (Kattenbelt, 2006, p. 29), are all practices influential in shaping the political consciousness of individuals.

Merely incorporating a political theme does not inherently render a work political. The political essence of a performance primarily resides in its interaction with its environment, specifically in its relationship with the audience, space, and time. Sound can offer spatialization, contextualization, and connection.

From a post-Brechtian perspective, the political function of art lies in preserving the diverse sensibilities that form the core of art’s autonomy and, consequently, its emancipatory potential. This entails safeguarding art from two potential pitfalls: either reducing it to a post-political gesture or aligning it too closely with everyday aestheticized experiences. Embracing the unfamiliarity of sensory experiences enhances the political impact of artistic actions. Political art should embrace a collage of contradictions. Beyond juxtaposing Velázquez with car keys, it must blend alternative aesthetic politics (Rancière, 2010).

Sound dramaturgy / Dramaturgy in sound

Dramaturgy

It is challenging to succinctly define dramaturgy², whose primary function revolves around the perpetual question: ‘How do we narrate this story?’ If pressed for a definition, one might describe dramaturgy today as the process of transforming any kind of text into a narrative. Dramaturgy aims to establish a practice, a protocol of actions that transcends individual contributions and creates a space between them, ultimately yielding an artistic outcome. Dramaturgy can be seen as research on the coexistence of space, sound, body and technology in performative interactive practices, as a practice in the process of production that is able to move a work “onward” in interventionist ways that may frequently confuse, disorient or alienate (Georgelou; Protopapa; Theodoridou, 2016). Dramaturgy is a process of composition that is realized first and foremost in scenic space, a collage, an assortment of objects, words, music, sounds, texts, movements, devices and screens. Dramaturgy is a collaborative and interdisciplinary practice, a dynamic, practice-based activity that is context-dependent. It is not a fixed set of rules but rather a process that evolves according to the needs of a specific project. Dramaturgy is, beyond text, a reflexive tool as well. This approach recognizes that dramaturgy adapts to different cultural, social, and artistic contexts, influencing how narratives and performances are constructed and interpreted (Trencsenyi; Cochrane, 2014). Eckersall, Grehan and Sheer (2017, p. 14) conceptualize dramaturgy as a transformational, interstitial, and translation practice that bridges ideas and their compositional and embodied enactment. New media dramaturgy “considers the way in which the materiality of technical elements matters”. It is evident that a more inclusive understanding of dramaturgy is needed that includes auditory experience and recognizes the interplay between sound and other sensory elements. Thus, the ‘scene’ also appears as an auditory environment. This approach not only enriches the aesthetic quality of theatrical productions but enhances their capacity to engage with contemporary cultural and social issues (Larmet, 2022, p. 5-7)

A successful sound dramaturgy intricately weaves together opposing elements and qualities in a collective manner. Dramaturgy is both conceptualized and practiced as a method that is continuously adapting to new circumstances. In this context, to ‘write’ means to invent and construct a form on stage imbued with rhythm, echoing the sentiment of the director’s notion of ‘writing’ for all media. In this perspective, the works by Bogumił Misal, Tom Pauwels-Black Jackets Company, Theatre Complicite, Collectif MU, The Synekine Project, Dump Type, and Nya Rampen are worthmentioning. LaBelle argues that sound dramaturgy involves the use of sound as a narrative tool that can convey meaning, emotion, and atmosphere in ways that dialogue and visual elements alone cannot. In this view, sound operates as a language with its own syntax and semantics, capable of driving a narrative forward, suggesting psychological states, or evoking specific cultural or historical contexts (LaBelle, 2006). Chion suggests that sound dramaturgy is concerned with how sound defines and manipulates space within a performance (Chion, 1994). Schafer introduces the idea of sound as an emotional catalyst in dramaturgy. In sound dramaturgy, the selection, timing, and intensity of sounds are strategically designed to align with and enhance the emotional journey of the audience (Schafer, 1994).

Primarily through sound, Medea Electronique's work artistically explores and reconstructs various locations in Greece (such as Athens, Sparta, Corfu, etc.) and abroad (including Lebanon, Montreal, Chicago, London, etc.). These soundscapes encompass natural settings, urban environments, events, and protests, such as the trial of the fascist party Golden Dawn, farmers' protests, and snapshots of city life such as flea markets and recycling centers. The collective also incorporates recordings of texts, either commissioned specifically for their works from poets, philosophers, and political thinkers, or by utilizing excerpts from existing literature. These texts are then performed by actors or vocalists. Of particular interest are interviews and personal narratives recorded by Medea Electronique with residents and scientists in places they visit and work. Additionally, members of the collective compose music pieces, using computers or other instruments. Their work often features live electronics, facilitating interaction between movement and sound environments, as well as opportunities for improvisation. This extensive material has culminated in a vast sound archive, which the collective continuously engages with and delves into for their new projects.

At the core of Medea Electronique’s work lies an initial idea, thought, intention, or feeling, which is then enriched and imbued with historicity and complexity through sound. Sound permeates its collective artworks, weaving them into a narrative and structuring their polyphony. Rather than creating ephemeral spectacles, Medea seeks to generate “situated” experiences (Haraway, 1988). The collective employs diverse sound methodologies for each new project. For instance, in the digital opera Echo and Narcissus (performed at Stegi Onassis in 2018), the sound and visuals were generated in real time through live coding by the musician/programmer on stage. Conversely, in Prometheia (presented at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in 2018), the sound environment and mapping were informed by the movements of the performers and a motion tracking system. Notably, the series of works titled Soundscapes Landscapes are sound walks that transform urban spaces and neighborhoods into immersive installations: participants equipped with a mobile app traverse the city, interacting with geolocative media.

Image 1
Echo and Narcissus, Live-Coding Opera.

Image 2
Prometheia, Multimedia performance.

Authorship

In the creation of both performative and non-performative artworks, Medea Electronique frequently initiates the process with sound material, around which all other elements are developed. Texts and dramaturgies, given the central role of speech/logos/text in its works, are transformed into sounds –– recorded, spoken, and deconstructed. When a text is provided by Medea’s dramaturge, the sound artist first vocalizes it and then manipulates it. Thus, the initial adaptation occurs between the dramaturge and the sound artist, rather than through a director, a role that is not part of Medea’s work. Subsequently, the final ‘text’ emerges through the collaborative efforts of the performers, musicians, and sound technicians, and through the visual elements, and interactive components within the performance space.

Akin to the oral tradition of the ancient theatre that deconstructed text, rendering it oral, sonorous, syllabic, onomatopoeic, explosive, silent, repetitive, administrative, spatial (Tarkos, 2008, p. 481), Medea’s creative process typically begins with a focus on sound — be it through field research, composition, recording, or experimentation with specific technologies or formats, aiming to evoke a particular sensation. Rather than commencing with written texts, these are integrated later into a work along with the other materials that compose the piece. All team members contribute to the dramaturgy, bringing various materials to the table for discussion. However, the primary exchange occurs between the dramaturge, who conducts research and drafts the text, and the sound artist/composer, who subsequently deconstructs and reinterprets the text sonically. The development of sound dramaturgy involves a range of practices and experiments, including sound collage, sampling, fragmentation, reassembly, and quotation (utilizing sound in a parodic, distant, or anti-representational manner — via cut-crossfading-scratch techniques). This approach emphasizes a rupture from collage, the discontinuity and fluidity of mixing, and the juxtaposition of dissonant elements, often employing collage and editing for reappropriation.

In Medea Electronique’s work, neither a director nor an author assumes sole authority or authorship. Instead, it is the sound artist-composer who orchestrates the ‘dispositif’ on stage and amalgamates all materials. According to Roesner (2014), musicality is not merely a feature or quality of theatre but an aesthetic “dispositive”, a dynamic and strategic arrangement that shapes and influences the creation, perception, and meaning of a performance. This ‘dispositif’ encompasses the various elements of a theatre production, including rhythm, timing, sound, and even the structure of the performance. In this sense, musicality is not confined to the presence of music or sound but refers to the underlying musical structures that inform the overall rhythm and flow of a performance. These musical structures shape the setting, compose the elements, and guide performances. However, the ‘death of the author and the director’³ in Medea Electronique’s practice does not signify the demise of text. On the contrary, text resurfaces on stage through sound, with its narratives being polyphonic, speculative, and open-ended. Like the approach taken by the theatre group El Conde de Torrefiel, text returns to the theatrical stage not as spoken word but as text in subtitles that flow continuously. Medea Electronique's creative process is intrinsically linked to its identity as a collective dedicated to the creation of collective artworks. Collective artwork entails the cultivation of a shared approach by multiple creators within a single work. In a collective setting, aesthetic decisions are made collectively, necessitating the subordination of personal aesthetics in favor of a unified direction (Manousakis, 2016, p. 64). This subordination serves as the foundation for a novel approach to producing art. The “collective work of art” (Manousakis, 2016) produced by Medea Electronique could be approached through the notion of “pluriphony”, presented by Adrianna Cavarero:

Traditionally, the voice of the mass is described as voices in unison, characterized by fusion and depersonalization. On the contrary, the voice of plurality – as I’m trying to argue – preserves the uniqueness of singular voices and it sounds like ‘pluriphony’ [...] My thesis is that the voice of plurality signals, in terms of sonicity, the germinal stage of democracy: it is as if the soundscape of a democracy-in-the-making could express the experience of human plurality in its original happiness, as basic and pluriphonic experience of politics (Cavarero; Thomaidis; Pinna, 2018, p. 88).

The invisible / The unheard (effets du reel/presence)

History has predominantly focused on literate cultures, as the coupling of events and narratives largely depended on writing (Kittler, 1999, p. 47-49). However, with the invention of the phonograph and subsequent advancements in sound technologies that enable sound recording, previously invisible groups and untold stories have come to the forefront. The act of listening, facilitated by the ear, unveils what was once unseen or overlooked. The ear, ‘the organ of fear, could only develop as easily as it did in the darkness or twilight of forests and dark caves, according to the way of life of the age of fear, which is the longest of all human ages that has ever existed: in the light, the ear is less necessary’ (Espinosa, 2016, p. 74). Consequently, in works by Medea, neglected, and marginalized subjects and groups find their voices heard on the theatre stage, shedding light on stories that were previously unknown, unfolding in the present moment. For instance, the series of works titled Soundscapes Landscapes I, II, III, drew inspiration from personal oral and recorded narratives of residents from various districts such as Neos Kosmos, Greek Muslim residents of Kerameikos, sex workers of Metaxourgeio, ragpickers, and more.

Image 3
Soundscapes Landscapes_Rhizome I.

Image 4
Soundscapes Landscapes_Rhizome II.

Image 5
Soundscapes Landscapes, XR Installation.

It was often easier for the interviewees to share their stories and grant permission for their voices to be heard than to have their images projected. The microphone, a crucial tool in this process, simultaneously conceals and reveals, obscuring actual identities to allow others to emerge. On stage, the microphone serves a dual purpose: magnifying the human figure while also creating a sense of distance. This duality parallels the function of ancient masks, as exemplified by Peter Sellars in his production of Ajax as early as 1987. Sound can both impose and manifest presence. When oppressed people are not heard, to exist, to become audible, visible, to be taken seriously, they shout or make noise (Larmet; Wegner, 2022; Poulou; Baudou; Rioual, 2021).

Image 6
Soundscapes-Rhizomes Kera, Crete.

In 2020, two members of Medea Electronique, Manolis Manousakis and Angeliki Poulou, collaborated on the first version of the electroacoustic performance State of Exception, in partnership with the vocal group Neue Vocalsolisten (consisting of 1 lead and 6 voices) and a performer, in a production by Onassis Stegi. This performance is a notable illustration of the group’s dramaturgical methodology. Initially, a general idea or a sound serves as a stimulus. In this instance it was recordings from Beirut and the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece. The voices of youngsters recorded in the Niemeyer Dome in Tripoli become the voices of devastated refugees trying to pass the borders of Idomeni. The final libretto featured a main character who propelled the narrative forward, alongside a ‘chorus’ reminiscent of the chorus in ancient Greek tragedy, providing commentary, repetition, and explanation. The lead performed a structured rhythmic recitation, while the chorus contributed improvised vocal elements. The project began with the dramaturge conducting research and composing the initial lyrics. The libretto then underwent radical processing by the sound artist. The initial structure of the work was based on the Maastricht Treaty, with the dramaturge crafting a poetic text or libretto that followed the structure and articles of the Treaty. The sound artist recomposed the text through sound, deconstructing and reforming it into lyrics. The objective was to emphasize single words that encapsulated entire concepts. The complexity shifted from the density of the text to the strategies employed through music, voice, and performance.

The libretto utilized broad, abstract concepts, drawing from Giorgio Agamben’s notion of the “state of exception” (Agamben, 2004), to suggest another institutional myth about the European Union and its citizens, that of the state of exception: which seems to be the dominant condition, given that there is always an urgent issue. It was the meticulously crafted sound environment that grounded the abstract and broad text in the contemporary context, bringing the audience back to the present moment. Medea Electronique achieved this not through direct commentary or references in the libretto, but through sound. The dramaturgy of sound, by situating the entire action and performance within the specific environments of Beirut and Idomeni, evoked political connotations, unsettling spectators and prompting them to forge connections and disconnections as they saw fit. It is considered political not only to alter the action or myth but also to manipulate or exaggerate the framework surrounding it. This approach aims to transform the theatre from a neutral space into one that actively participates in the social construction and production of meaning. For Medea Electronique, the focus extends beyond what occurs on stage or within the confines of an art space; rather, it is primarily concerned with casting light on the invisible, the excluded, and the inaccessible aspects of the societal. According to Neveux, the goal of an influential performance is to enable the audience to “see more”:

‘Seeing more’ does not mean ‘seeing everything’, but rather ‘seeing differently, seeing the seeing’, as Marx and Marxism show it in social life: seeing what is not seen, and constructing the seen. This ‘seeing’ is part of a broader activity, keen on understanding to intervene and required to intervene to understand. On stage, there is an ‘unreal’ realized, embodied, and played. Unreal not because it is something less than established reality but something more, and, qualitatively different (Neveux, 2023, p. 126).

Image 7
State of exception.

Post-brechtian gestus

We want to emphasize how reality permeates the works of Medea Electronique. Could this be interpreted as ‘realism’ or ‘documentary theatre’? No. Documentary-theatre often involves subjects who embody a “double identification” (Tinius, 2023) on stage, a process that raises concerns regarding the confinement of subjects to a singular legal identity or their reduction to mere existence. There exists a distinction between live subjects on stage ‘portraying’ their personal stories or themselves and listening subjects narrating their stories within a sound environment. Sound and listening provide a valuable distance, fostering fiction and detachment rather than identification and authenticity. Art does not become political because of the messages and feelings it conveys about social and political issues. Nor is it political because of the way it represents social structures, conflicts, or identities. It is political by virtue of the distance it takes in relation to these functions (Rancière, 2009).

Medea Electronique’s idiomatic ‘realism’, which is akin to the work of other artists such as the Wooster Group, the Builders Association, Milo Rau, Christoph Marthaler, Frank Castorf, Dump Type, and Robert Wilson, could be situated within the post-Brechtian tradition. There isn’t a singular definition of the post-Brechtian perspective, but as Barnett argues, it revolves around principles that prioritize the persistence of the social realm to counteract a loss of historical consciousness during a period when capitalism threatens to render all experiences perpetual. The characteristics of the post-Brechtian perspective can be outlined as: (a) embracing epistemological uncertainty, (b) retaining dialectics while modifying rather than rejecting Brechtian stagecraft, (c) upholding Brecht’s emphasis on demonstration, and (4) shifting the focus of the stage from interpretation to association (Barnett, 2011, p. 337).

Brecht identifies the recurring pattern of political art: to engage the spectator, but also highlights the risk of detaching the spectator from every social function. He acknowledges failures, such as ‘appropriation by the opponent’, and presents a potentially paradoxical viewpoint: art for art’s sake. Brecht’s analysis serves to prevent misinterpretations: the latter demand [art for art’s sake] doesn’t arise from an ideal of non-politicized art, but rather from a proactive concern to prevent the co-optation of protest art forms and mechanisms by capitalism (Brecht, 2005).

Reversed historification

While Brecht projected his works onto myth to speak to the present – – when analyzing capitalism, he did so through distant China (The Good Person of Szechwan) –– Medea Electronique brings reality (and not actuality) to the theatre primarily through sound, not as a message, but as a ‘condition’ within which the action unfolds. Even when staging myths such as Prometheus (2018) or Echo and Narcissus (2018), sounds are rooted in the present moment. Echo and Narcissus delves into myth and reflection, but also incorporates contemporary media themes. Medea Electronique appears to reverse Brecht’s renowned ‘historification’, eschewing the transportation of plots to distant times and places in favor of setting them in the contemporary era. Historification was used as an alienation technique to prevent catharsis and encourage critical analysis. This valuable ‘distance’ is provided in Medea Electronique’s performances through the sound environment and the collective’s strategies. The intention and outcome are the revelation of the mechanisms of reality, exploring the dialectical relationship between particular and general, historical, and timeless, individual and collective, as well as the complexity and dialectics of existence. Sound re-politicizes theatre because sound situates and names. It is insufficient to merely speak on behalf of maximalist entities such as the living, the human, the earth, or the world, to sound alarms without truly disturbing or articulating the political root of the danger: capitalism. It is crucial to not only represent the essence of Capital on stage but also to unsettle viewers by giving it a name — such as Google. It is not enough to merely discuss the intensification of labor; it is vital to hear the sounds of keyboards or the struggles of workers in Google’s data centers. Conversely, it is inadequate to solely showcase the personal histories of the oppressed, which are inherently individual; we must also depict the context and mechanisms governing these narratives.

The immanence of society in art is the essential social relation of art, not the immanence of art in society. One must examine a scene closely: it is animated by bodies, words, movements, and gestures, all of which are entwined in a history of forms and expressions, inscribed within a fractured present from which the audience is addressed. The audience is similarly ensnared in a history of forms and expressions, embedded within its own roles and functions, also within a divided present. Social antagonisms are not only grasped by the making of the artwork but also grasped within its phenomenality: through the plurality of disciplines involved, the confrontation between intention and realization (Neveux, 2023, p. 123).

Image 8
Medea Electronique at Koumaria Residency, which is dedicated to improvisation, new media, rurality and performance. Source: Medea Electronique (2018).

Fictionalization of space through sound

The collective explores the ‘fictionalization’ of space through the utilization of hybrid performative arts, a practice predominantly manifested through soundwalks and media walks, exemplified by the emblematic series Soundscapes Landscapes. Each location possesses unique sounds and aesthetics — personal dialects and appearances — that beckon artists to engage with them and, in doing so, to fictionalize them, thereby forging a new geography intertwined with a novel dramaturgy of soundscapes, lives, societies, and spaces. Medea Electronique endeavors to craft artistic narratives that reflect on interaction with these spaces, as well as the experiences of those who inhabit them. This requires fiction, a blending of diverse perspectives, and the creation of a platform for presenting multiple narratives rather than favoring a singular one. Interactive sound and media walks, along with adaptable archival interfaces, facilitate the generation of varied fictions and numerous narratives. Rather than constructing a solitary fiction of reality, the collective generates multiple fictions, each rooted in a unique yet equally valid encounter with reality, however fleeting it may be. Through meticulous observation of places, conversations with locals, immersion in communities, and iterative processes, they develop new-media walks and site-specific performances. Medea’s work embodies elements of ethnography, anthropology, history, and creativity, brimming with sounds, words, voices, environments, texts, and images. It represents an artistic fictionalization of the spaces engaged with, offering a mode of reflection both of and through these spaces (Lewis; Poulou, 2021, p. 31).

In July-August 2019, Medea Electronique and Giortes Rokkas embarked on an innovative project in Kera, a village in Crete. Collaborating with sound artists, dramaturges, performers and anthropologists, they pioneered a new form of artistic and digital mapping within the village of Kera, located near Chania. The result was the creation of the performative soundwalk titled Soundscapes_Rhizomes, which intricately intertwined spaces, monuments, landscapes, sounds, and interviews with residents. This immersive experience invited participants to engage in real-time exploration, theatrically and acoustically activating specific points within the village, thereby reshaping the invisible narrative of the area. The project represented a convergence of art, technology, theatre, and field recording, blending interviews and life stories with soundscapes, compositions, poetry, dance, and performance. The dramaturgy of the walk was deeply rooted in the present, fostering a dynamic interchange between myth, the past, and the contemporary moment. It sought to challenge the authoritarian legacy of official (written) memory while also exploring alternative social spaces through ephemeral artistic interventions.

Image 9
Kera and Rokka villages as a ‘stage’, Chania, Crete.

Sound played a pivotal role in setting the theatrical ‘stage’ for performances to unfold. Medea Electronique embarked on a 10-day artistic workshop and collaborated with artists and researchers to conduct anthropological and artistic research directly in the village. The resulting material, including soundscapes, compositions, recordings of musical improvisations, interviews, and personal narratives formed the basis for a sound design for the village itself, effectively transforming each part of the village into a distinct sonic and spatial environment akin to a performative sound installation. Subsequently, theatre and dance groups were invited to showcase their work within this unique sonic and spatial landscape. Consequently, Kera metamorphosed into an outdoor stage, with the residents emerging as the ‘protagonists’. For instance, individuals like Stefanis with his folk songs, Sofia with her anecdotes, or Eleftheria with her homemade pastries became integral parts of the performance setting. An illustrative example includes the composition of a prayer by Medea Electronique, crafted based on discussions with residents, and broadcast from the village church — an invocation tailored for the village, echoing the sentiments of its inhabitants. Similarly, in an abandoned house, two prominent Greek actors performed Cortázar’s House Taken Over, with their interactions intricately woven into the sound design, created with stories about death told by the villagers.

Thus, leveraging the potential of sound, music, and technology, Medea Electronique fictionalizes space while simultaneously imparting insights about it. It narrates a story infused with references to reality, conveyed through the voices of its protagonists, yet without veering into the realm of documentary. Each locale, be it a city or village, emerges as a canvas for experiential storytelling, serving as the backdrop upon which events and performances unfold, thereby serving as a dramatic framework. These hybrid artistic endeavors do not merely engage in ‘writing of the plateau’ but rather foster a ‘writing of the place’ through the medium of sound. Artists venture into buildings and significant locales steeped in history, as well as other settings, streets, and outdoor spaces. They incorporate original narratives and testimonies from local residents, occasionally inviting them to seamlessly integrate into the performance, thereby becoming organic contributors to the unfolding narrative. In contrast to the early 20th-century attempts of figures like Piscator to bring the external world onto the stage, a reverse movement emerges: the theatre ventures outward, not solely to present a preconceived narrative in an outdoor setting, but precisely to articulate the story of the locale during these hybrid events.

The real

The concept of the real and the consciousness that contemporary culture carries regarding it have always been accompanied by technological progress. Even if this was initially a spontaneous outcome, the sense of presence has now become an objective for the performing arts as well, as individuals’ sensitivities and expectations constantly transform and adapt to new technological mechanisms. Lacan famously asserted that “the Real is impossible”, meaning that the Real is impossible to fully grasp, represent, or domesticate within the structures of language and culture (Lacan, 1998). It is the kernel of experience that remains outside of symbolization, something that can only be encountered in moments of rupture, when the coherence of the symbolic order breaks down. While Lacan’s Real is rooted in the ineffable aspects of human experience that resist symbolization, Derrida’s engagement with the Real revolves around his critique of metaphysics and his concept of différance. Derrida's concept of différance disrupts the possibility of a stable Real by emphasizing that meaning is always deferred, never fully present, and constantly produced through a play of differences (Derrida, 1978). Berthold Brecht, in turn, redefined the concept of realism in theatre, diverging significantly from the traditional Aristotelian notion of mimesis. For Brecht, realism was about uncovering the underlying social and political mechanisms that shape reality (Benjamin, 1998, p. 1-13).

The ‘realism’ depicted in projects by Medea Electronique does not seek to simply mirror or faithfully reproduce reality as it appears; rather, it unveils the underlying layers of existence, shedding light on what remains unseen yet is profoundly impactful. This form of realism operates distinctively from a conventional mirror-like reflection, as sound design has the ability to disengage representation from the confines of mere verisimilitude. Similarly, representation, including theatre, can subvert the immediacy of typical depictions, bridging the chasm with spontaneous perceptions and thereby enhancing its critical efficacy. Essentially, it presents an encounter with the non-immediate, or even more provocatively, with the immediate experience of the non-mediated. It constitutes a fabrication of artifices (Neveux, 2023).

With its realism, Medea Electronique engages in the ‘virtualization’ of the present through sound, addressing the virtual nature inherent in reality (as discussed earlier regarding the ‘fictionalization of space’). Here, the virtual is not perceived as an illusion or merely an artificial construct that surpasses reality; rather, it is recognized as a dimension intrinsic to reality itself. The virtual realm serves as a catalyst in dynamic interaction with the actual world. Virtualization is neither inherently positive nor negative; it is portrayed as a process of ‘becoming other,’ or as the heterogenesis of humanity (Levy, 1998, p. 16). In this context, the virtual is not in opposition to the real, but rather to potentiality: virtuality and actual existence represent two distinct modes of existence. Reality is inherently ‘always already’ virtual; the virtual underpins reality in its very essence. It is crucial to note that the virtual is not contrasted with the real, but rather with the actual. Unlike the static and predefined nature of the possible, the virtual is akin to a network of possibilities, a nexus of tensions or forces accompanying a situation, an event, an object, or any other entity, leading to a process of resolution: leading to a process of resolution: to an activation and transition to actual existence (actualization).

A new aesthetic experience

The scope of this article does not permit a deep exploration into the foundational role of the theatre within the context of musical contests (agones) and the ancient poet’s function as a ‘chorus instructor’ (chorodidaskalos), a topic that has been extensively discussed elsewhere. This dimension returns theatre to its ritualistic and celebratory dimension, distancing it from Aristotle and his text-centric view⁴. Sound, sound design, sound environments, and sound technologies have the potential to accentuate the unique qualities of the theatre as the ultimate space of common live presence. As Labelle points out, sound is “a vibrant matter” (LaBelle, 2020a) and may act as the basis for ecologies of relation and experiential knowledge. In this perspective, listening transcends visible and invisible realms, cultivating acts of compassion and care, fostering resilient forms of mutual understanding, empathy, and creative expressions of community building.

The politics of sound in performance challenge conventional theatre protocols, reminding us that the theatre transcends mere textual representation, while also emphasizing that music is not bound by text. Consequently, the theatre and performance, with their capacity to theatricalize and situate actions, individuals, and objects in space and time, create a holistic experience for audiences, presenting the ‘as if’ in real-time before their eyes.

This aesthetic experience introduces a fresh auditory ‘gaze’ to the audience, offering an expanded auditory environment and fostering a novel cognitive state. The act of ‘listening’ is the crucial element here: ‘listening’ is an active and dynamic process in theater. Listening is not a passive reception of sound but an engaged and interpretative act that shapes how audiences perceive and make meaning of a performance (Larmet, 2022). Espinosa challenges the conventional assimilation of sight and knowledge, advocating for auditory perception, which captures the ephemeral and singular nature of objects without reducing them to stable images. Unlike imaginative perception, which tends to evoke melancholy, anxiety, and nausea by suggesting repetition, the philosophy of listening emphasizes the joy of encountering constant novelty in reality. This perspective aligns with the idea of becoming, which contrasts with the notion of being as a mere representation of reality in images (Espinosa, 2016, p. 16).

The aesthetic experience is profoundly influenced by the performativity of sound. Sound engages listeners on a direct physical level, capturing their attention and transcending its role as mere information or emotional backdrop. Digital technology on stage goes beyond representation to offer its own form of performative sound dramaturgy, shaping the narrative alongside other elements of a performance. Sound effects not only depict or enhance stage action but also contribute to the creation of atmosphere and rhythms, exerting a powerful impact on the audience.

Technical objects have an inherent beauty, particularly when they are seamlessly integrated into their environment, whether natural or human made. This aesthetic impression is contingent upon integration: the beauty of a work lies not solely in its individual components but in its harmonious relationship with the world around it. In this sense, beauty emerges from the interaction between an object and the entirety of a person’s life, representing a convergence of real-world aspects and human engagement (Simondon, 2012).

Performance/Installation

Medea Electronique works extensively with performances and installations in which both actors and audience members become ‘performers. The installations lead to a new perception of space and a new sense of what it means to build and inhabit a world. Mainly related to the art of architecture but now also to performative studies, the installations are outside of themselves, disconnected from the knowledge and works that specifically define them, to become something else: an example of a regime of thought or a type of perspective, but also a focus of transfers and transformations, in short, a specific image of the world and even a specific way of creating the world. (Rancière, 2023, p. 77). Dimitris Kamarotos, the most important sound dramaturge in Greece, comments that sound artists act as architects as well:

When crafting soundscapes, whether for a performance within a confined space or for a larger-scale installation in a public area, the process involves a gesture akin to that of an architect. This gesture requires envisioning and conceptualizing elements, arranging them mentally, and simulating their effect to ensure they can be effectively realized when implemented. Just as an architect plans and designs structures, sound designers and artists must conceptualize and arrange auditory elements to create immersive and impactful experiences for their audience (Manousakis; Poulou, 2022, p. 64).

Medea Electronique offers not only a distinct auditory encounter but also a unique performative experience, redefining live performance and technology. Through its hybrid artworks, mixed reality installations, and multimedia performances, it unveils the possibilities (potentialities and virtualities) of space to spectators, emphasizing the shared experience of spatial exploration. These installations curate diverse encounters, rhythms, and sensory stimuli, encouraging movement, exploration, and individual choice in what to perceive.

In November 2023, Medea Electronique premiered its XR installation RED | WHITE at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. RED|WHITE was a unique love affair that seamlessly evolves into an XR experience: an erotic duet, two bodies intimately narrate their story. As visitors stepped into the installation, they embarked on a sensory adventure, exploring, observing, and engaging with the continuous flow of sound, imagery, and words. At a pivotal moment, participants encountered VR stations, donned virtual reality headsets, and became participants in the story. RED|WHITE artfully navigated the delicate balance between desire and detachment, the natural and the artificial, reality and potentiality, togetherness, and separation, the ‘here’ and the ‘elsewhere’. Physical space complemented the world of virtual reality, offering a layered and enriched encounter — a true mise en abyme. RED|WHITE consisted of four ‘chapters’ of different experiences and ‘dramatic’ levels: Two VR films, a visual and sound art piece and a sound installation. The central material for technological creation (LED panels, VR, etc.) was the sound (voice-overs, music pieces, soundscapes). The dramaturgy of the installation was based on letters and other texts by Jessica Sellountos, addressing themes of love, existential angst, the suffering subject, and the search for the ‘other’.

Image 10
RED | WHITE.

The four ‘chapters’ of the installation were connected by sound, through the sound environment. Viewers entered the room and were prompted to stand, to explore, and to ‘sync’ with the atmosphere, which was primarily structured through the sound environment and lighting. More than 10 artists collaborated in creating this work, each with their own perspective and aesthetics, and with the freedom to elaborate on the central concept as they wished. The sound environement created the space, the central feeling, and the atmosphere, distancing the project from being a patchwork of different voices. Thus, the viewer, with the sound environment as a solid foundation, navigated through the different iterations of the work.

The installation ‘theatricalized’ VR, bridging the gap between the virtual world and reality, while also enhancing the audience's sensory experience. It shifted the focus from merely staging actors to orchestrating the audience’s experience within the shared space of the theatre/performance. The art of installation offers digital media the ability to ‘direct’ the audience’s experience in space. In the context of Medea Electronique, this direction of the audience’s experience within the shared space is primarily achieved through sound design and sound environments. These elements play a pivotal role in guiding the audience’s trajectory in space, shaping their perceptions, and creating a cohesive and immersive experience. Medea Electronique uses sound to intricately direct and sculpt the audience’s encounter with the installation or performance, fostering deeper engagement and connection with the narrative and environment.

Designing atmospheres

Sound plays a pivotal role in creating ‘atmospheres’ within the realm of performance. These atmospheres are not confined to geometric space but rather belong to the performance, shaping spatiality and corporeality. Sound, as a constituent part of the vibrational world, has a tangible materiality. Sound waves permeate space and impact bodies. In the work of Medea Electronique, sound and soundscapes are instrumental in constructing atmospheres and environments characterized by rhythms that transcend the mundane. By deviating from conventional rhythms, these sonic elements beckon spectators into an alternative experiential realm, altering their breathing patterns and guiding them toward an alternative perception of existence. In essence, an atmosphere encapsulates the sensation experienced when entering a space and delineates the reciprocal transformation undergone by both observers and the environment as a result of this encounter. Through sound, the atmosphere infiltrates spectators’ bodies and renders them accessible. Sounds resemble smells in the sense that they also surround the subject of perception and penetrate the body. A body can sway along with sounds, which at other times may even cause pain. If sound transforms the spectator’s body into an amplifier, causing their chest to vibrate, if it can provoke physical pain, shivering, or agitation, then a spectator no longer hears it as something external perceived by their ears, but feels it as an internal process that often induces a sensation akin to undulation (Fischer-Lichte, 2008; Böhme, 1993). When individuals encounter a sound event, their bodies instinctively react without a need for conscious analysis. This response is immediate and visceral; the body instinctively either recoils to shield itself or moves closer to gather additional information and stimuli. Thus, listening is an inherently active process, akin to the sense of touch. Furthermore, similar to touching, listening can promptly forget past stimuli, enabling it to remain receptive and available to receive subsequent stimuli.

Epilogue: Dwelling in the world

In the performances and installations of Medea Electronique, it seems as though the question of ‘How to dwell in the world’ is momentarily addressed. According to Heidegger, for humans, to truly exist is to dwell (Heidegger, 1958). By using sound and the environments it creates, along with the framing it offers and the aesthetic experience it engenders, the quest for togetherness (dwelling collectively in the world) in art is reintroduced as a contemporary political statement. From a post-political perspective, in which history and political action are inherently individualized, critical art reawakens the inquiry into what it means to be united and interconnected with our surroundings and each other. This notion underscores the communal function of art as the construction of a distinct space, a novel form of communal world-building and sensory perception. In this light, the focus in performative installations shifts towards the audience’s experience rather than solely on the artist and creative process. This shift, from the artist as the focal point to interaction and engagement with the audience, carries political significance by reinstating the importance of negotiation and communication. The center of gravity of the artwork must thus pivot back towards the audience, a transition that unfolds gradually and sometimes with difficulty, marked by both progress and setbacks. Nonetheless, discussions surrounding dramaturgy remind us of the fundamental role of storytelling and communication in this process.

Image 11
Soundscapes Landscapes. XR installation.

Not everything is political (yet everything could be)

No, not everything is inherently political. However, everything has the potential to be po-liticized. As noted by Olivier Neveux, simply stating that theatre is ‘fundamentally political’ and asserting that ‘theatre is either political or not theatre’ leads to the same outcome each time: the expulsion of the political dimension. Any form of theatre that embraces, expresses, or maintains a political stance, whether overtly or subtly, with a militant fervor or critical detachment, through confrontation or observation, narratives or anticipations, can be qualified as ‘political theatre’. This distinction is essential to avoid falling into routine and prematurely restricting (and thus sidelining) both the possibilities that arise when politics and theatre intersect, and what each realm can contribute to the other (Neveux, 2019).

While acknowledging the political dimension of personal experiences, we contend that it is insufficient. A dialectical approach is necessary that recognizes the reciprocal relationship between personal agency and collective dynamics. This fosters the emergence of new contexts tailored to individual and specific contexts. Exploring the framework of art production is crucial and could serve as a logical extension of this discourse. This inquiry should examine the terms under which contemporary artists operate, their intended audiences, the demographics of those who attend performances, and those who are marginalized or excluded. Moreover, it should interrogate the transition from artist to curator and from artwork to project (Poulou; Baudou; Rioual, 2021), as well as the roles played by institutions, foundations, and overarching international practices within the art world (See Dimitrakakis, 2013).

Notes

• 1
  Medea Electronique was founded in 2006 in Athens, Greece. Its activity includes contemporary theatre performances, experimental audiovisual performances and installations, site specific works, and electroacoustic music compositions. Medea Electronique has a decades-long record of working with new technologies in art projects that are about, and use, urban and rural sounds. The collective has a growing international reputation as a leading artscollective among those with this focus, and has partnered in the past with major institutions with similar interests such as The Onassis Foundation, ZKE, and CIRMMT (among others). Medea members include experts in the field recording of urban sounds, electronic and acoustic composers, musicians, video artists, animators, VR designers, scenographers, and theorists of sound and urban landscapes. The collective emphasizes the importance of bringing others into this process, which is best seen in our 10-day artistic residency Koumaria that has acquired international recognition for bringing new artists to work and experiment in Greece, and which has enriched and developed the practice of the Medea collective.
• 2
  See: Eckersall, Grehan and Sheer (2017); Georgelou, Protopapa and Theodoridou (2016); Poulou (2022); Sarrazac (2012); Trencsenyi and Cochrane (2014).
• 3
  Barthes (1967), by decentering the author, opens text to a multitude of interpretations, making it a more dynamic and interactive medium. Sarrazac (2012) argues that modern drama has experienced a significant crisis, which he attributes to the declining centrality of the playwright and the traditional notion of authorship. This crisis, according to Sarrazac, has led to the “dissolution” of the theatre author. He suggests that modern theatre is characterized by a growing tension between the written word and the embodied act, leading to a crisis of representation. Contemporary theatre practitioners, in turn, challenge the idea of the director as the ultimate authority over a performance. Instead, there is an increasing emphasis on collaborative processes that distribute creative agency across an entire ensemble, including actors, designers, writers, and even the audience (Etchells, 1999). This model further diminishes the traditional authority of the director, as the audience's interpretation and engagement with the performance become central to its meaning (Bishop, 2012).
• 4
  See Dupont (2007) and Lehman (2002).
• Research data availability: the dataset that supports the results of this study is published in the article itself.
• This original paper, reviewed by Jeffrey Hoff, is also published in Portuguese in this issue of the journal.

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• Editors in charge: Rafaella Uhiara; Ana Wegner

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  20 Dec 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  28 Dec 2023
• Accepted
  04 Sept 2024