Acoustemological Investigation: Sound Diary #Tehran

Acoustemological Investigation: Sound Diary #Tehran is a research-based project that is being developed as part of my ongoing Ph.D. research. This is accomplished by employing sensory methodology as a research tool for observing and analysing architecture and urban design. Art and architecture have always seemed to me to have the potential for social change and the improvement of the existing social order. They can be emancipatory, assisting in self-development, promoting social justice, and even, in small ways, changing the world we live in. As a result, artists and architects engage in activities of innovation and creativity in the hope of articulating their dreams and building a better future for the benefit of their communities. The living environment and places where people spend their time tell a story about who they are and their vision of the future. Art and architecture are social practices that are inextricably linked to the rest of social life. In this regard, this exposition is an attempt to observe, study, and analyse the process of urbanisation in Iran, specifically the housing construction in the Pardis Phase 11 suburbs of Tehran. The interest in the sensory dimension of Pardis Phase 11 serves as the starting point for this artistic practice-led research project. The project employs sensorial methodologies such as acoustemology to investigate the area and urban transformations caused by concepts such as ‘modernisation’, ‘development’, ‘progress’, and ‘globalisation’. The work evolves through a large collection of media content in the form of field recordings made at the Phase 11 site. The project’s goal is to create a discursive sensory environment in order to generate a contemplative and in-depth reflection of a barren land transformed into an urban setting.