#SonicWilderness is a practice that takes musicians, artists, thinkers, and any interested person outside, to engage sonically with nature and public space. The emphasis is on listening, interacting, collaborating, and playing together with any sounds that can be found by exploring these spaces.
 
Initiated by artist AGF (FI/DE) in 2011, #SonicWilderness changes shape and focus depending on where and when it takes place. In Yogyakarta, it assembles a group of 5 female artists/projects from diverse disciplines and places:  Asa Rahmana (ID), Ayu Saraswati (ID), Joee & I (PH), Menstrual Synthdrone (ID), and Sarana (ID).

Parallels between human and mycelium (mushroom) networks underlie the #SonicWilderness concept. The initiative is thus inspired by Radical Mycology, a grassroots movement that examines network organization by looking at the decentralized growth, collaboration, and resilience of mycelial networks. Further inspiration is found in Stacy Alaimo’s feminist book, Bodily Natures: Science, Environment, and the Material Self (Indiana University Press, 2010), which suggests “trans-corporeality” as a way to view the relationship between humanity and the world around us as fluid. Alaimo’s ideas provide an alternative framework that releases human agency from the confines of postmodernism’s isolated and castrated human agent. Much like Alaimo asks her readers to re-imagine questions of environmental ethics and environmental practices as deeply personal matters instead of isolated theoretical issues, #SonicWilderness participants are asked to aurally explore their own subjective experiences with their surroundings.

#SonicWilderness has a strong focus on working together and collaborating. This edition will specifically focus on sonic feminisms and networking possibilities for female artists. In this spirit, AGF will share her many years of experience as active member of the female:pressure network, which has been championing the inclusion of women in music since 1998. These daily discussions will encourage thinking about creating and connecting female networks, and ideas of feminism and female empowerment.

The general public is invited to join #SonicWilderness participants in an open workshop at Teater Garasi on Sunday 7 September. You are invited to bring a small portable instrument if you wish (not required).

AGF will also offer a public talk/workshop on creating and activating female arts networks at Kedai Kebun Forum on Monday 8 September.

AGF (FI/DE)
Asa Rahmana (ID)
Ayu Saraswati (ID)
Joee & I (PH)
Menstrual Synthdrone (ID)
Sarana (ID).