Listening to the Anthropocene: Sonic Deterritorializations in Contemporary Art

Abstract

The article explores the role of sound in contemporary art as a tool for investigating ecological relationships in the Anthropocene era. Through the analysis of works by artists such as Bernie Krause, David Rothenberg, Jana Winderen, and Christina Kubisch, it examines how contemporary sonic practices are redefining the relationship between human and non-human. The text develops around the concept of sonic deterritorialization, elaborated by Deleuze and Guattari, to understand how sound can function as a mediator between different forms of life. Special attention is paid to Bernie Krause's The Great Animal Orchestra, analyzed through different theoretical perspectives: new materialism, posthumanism, and Vinciane Despret's philosophical interpretation, which sees the work as a model for rethinking human/non-human relationships. The analysis also includes Bruno Latour's political theory, which uses the orchestra metaphor to propose a new model of social organization based on cooperation rather than property. The study aims to demonstrate how these artistic practices go beyond documenting environmental changes to propose new models of multispecies coexistence, where sound becomes a common language that crosses and connects different forms of existence.