Sonic Boundaries

Abstract

Sonic Boundaries is the outcome of artistic research conducted through the lens of autoethnography, aimed at elucidating how the soundscape ecologies experienced by Johannesburg residents on a daily basis shape their sense of place and identity. The outcome of my research resulted in two indoor sound installations where I relied on soundscape recording material that was recorded in various locations I visited. The exhibition was held for one evening at “The Art House” in Melville, Johannesburg, on the 31st of January. I attempted to showcase how nature and the fear of crime play a role in aiding the soundscape ecologies we inhabit with strong sonic metaphors that are still linked to the problematic and complicated colonial past of the Johannesburg area. A conclusion from this research is that the residents of Johannesburg, specifically including myself, are still negotiating their way through the historical roots that bind them to the areas of the city they reside in. This complicates the ability to see and hear what metaphorically lies beyond. My investigation has revealed that further efforts could enhance our understanding of the soundscape ecologies in Johannesburg and their influence on our sense of place. When looking at the fairly recent events that are unfolding within Johannesburg regarding the ad hoc establishment of informal settlements next to affluent neighbourhoods, I foresee potential avenues of research that can aid a deeper understanding of the various dynamics that are at play, as well as the sonic metaphors that accompany them. I also believe that the physical cataloguing of soundscapes using phonography as a method is another valuable consideration when taking into account the little soundscape evidence we have of the past. We know what Johannesburg sounds like now, but we do not know what it sounded like in the 1920s, nor do we know what it will sound like in the future.