posts on the norient space by Katía Truijen

Before archives fix meaning, frequencies move. An opening conversation for the new Norient publication on listening, sonic pluralism, and the politics of what is heard – and what remains unheard.

Sound is memory, testimony, and sometimes just a boring hiss inside one’s flat. From Stolpersteine to deep-sea mining – this dialogic essay reflects the potential and pitfalls of sound as an introduction to the new publication «Where Sound Becomes Witness» with Rewire 2025.

With their performance «The Drum and The Bird» at Rewire festival 2025, Forensis and Bill Kouliglas unearth the echoes of colonial violence in Namibia – amplifying erased voices and the land’s testimony. A conversation about how sound can make history audible.

Sound can be listened to, but what do you hear when the sound listens back? This collage essay weaves together responses from sound artists and theorists, exploring the reciprocity of listening and the agency of sound itself.

When talking about listening in the broadest sense, listeners are usually at the center of attention. In this dialogic essay, Rewire Festival’s context curator Katía Truijen and Norient’s editor Philipp Rhensius what happens when the sound listens back.

While working on the collaborative publication «All In It Together», Norient’s editor Philipp Rhensius and Rewire’s context curator Katía Truijen enter into a conversation over email where they strive to learn from the various contributions.