Aesthetic Noise

This panel invites presentations that explore the philosophical, artistic, cultural, and political dimensions of noise as an aesthetic material. Often considered loud, obtrusive, and unwanted, Aesthetic Noise seeks to promote new modes of listening, perception, and understanding when noise is used as an artistic material and seeks to amplify noise in contemporary creative practices.

Inspired by the recently published Aesthetic Noise: The Philosophy of Intentional Listening (Routledge) by the panel chairperson Mary Mazurek, this panel considers how noise can become a catalyst for profound artistic experiences and expression. Papers that examine noise through philosophical, critical, and practice-based lenses, including its applications in sound art, music, installation, performance, digital media, and experimental practices are welcome.

Possible topics include but are not limited to: noise and phenomenology; noise and the sublime; noise in the works of artists like John Cage, or contemporary experimentalists; noise and identity; sound as a political statement; and noise as a tool for disrupting traditional aesthetic hierarchies.

Inter and multi-disciplinary perspectives are encouraged with contributions that intersect with disciplines such as sound studies, philosophy, media studies, gender studies, and political theory. This panel aims to foster a rich dialogue on the radical potential of noise and the ways intentional listening reshapes our relationships with sound, self, and society.