University of the Western Cape’s CHR Debuts Highly Acclaimed Sound Art Project

The Centre for Humanities Research, in partnership with the Akademie Der Künste and Deutschlandfunk Radio, have joined forces to explore how sound embodies knowledge.

The partnership launched two years ago with a project titled “Oscillations: Sonic Inquiries and Practices”.

The initiative stems from the Centre for Humanities Research’s (CHR) ongoing interest in sound and aesthetic education.

The CHR at the University of the Western Cape oversees various international research partnerships.

“Oscillations” explores the premise that sound embodies knowledge and that knowledge can be practised through sound art.

The project has seen a dynamic exchange between Germany and South Africa, fostering artist residencies, collaborations and the creation of new works.

The project’s core idea, oscillation, serves as a metaphor for sound and movement—spanning language, ideas, place, history,and artistic practice.

A four-day workshop held at the CHR’s Iyatsiba Lab in September 2023 brought together artists and researchers to delve into the artistic and scholarly dimensions of sound.

The culmination of this project was a group exhibition at the Akademie Der Künste in Berlin from April 27 to May 19, 2024, featuring works by two German artists and eight South African artists.

Additionally, radio works were broadcast on Deutschlandfunk Culture. The exhibition received widespread acclaim and coverage in the German press.