Global Sonic Research Residency

The Global Sonic Research Residency at ZKM | Hertzlab in collaboration with the Arts Council Korea (ARKO) and HELLERAU selected three international artists and researchers in 2025. Artists and researchers were chosen who work with sound to push the boundaries of sonic arts research by creating immersive experiences that merge spatial sound with speculative narratives on the theme of »Futureproofing Connection«.

This residency offers a unique opportunity to present work at two of Europe’s leading centers for spatial sound and performance: ZKM | Hertzlab in Karlsruhe and HELLERAU.

Guided by the theme »Futureproofing Connection«, proposals were sought that not only interrogate the technological infrastructures of sound but also reconceptualize connection itself—as a dynamic interplay of agency, embodiment, and media ecologies. The three selected fellows deploy sound as a speculative device, inviting audiences into liminal spaces where human, architectural, and machine agencies coalesce.

Together, these three projects chart a resonant cartography of “Futureproofing Connection,” uniting architectural reverb, voice-machine symbiosis, and spatialized sonic navigation. They embrace sound as medium that foregrounds the entanglements of history, identity, and power in the making of collective experience. We eagerly anticipate their research and performances at ZKM Hertzlab and HELLERAU, where each process and performance of the fellows will activate dialogues.

Jury Members:
Dr. Lea Luka Sikau (she/her), ZKM I Hertzlab
Moritz Lobeck (he/him), HELLERAU
Katharina Meissner (she/her), MUTEK
Kohui (he/him), sound artist

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