Soundscape as Art: On the Spatiality of Sound Art and the Shaping of Memory

Abstract

This paper posits the soundscape not merely as an acoustic environment but as a sophisticated artistic medium, arguing for its central role in the contemporary discourse of sound art. It critically examines the inherent spatiality of sound and its profound capacity to shape, store, and evoke memory. Moving beyond R. Murray Schafer's foundational ecological framework, the analysis reframes the soundscape within an artistic context, where it is intentionally composed, manipulated, and installed to create immersive, experiential spaces. The first section deconstructs the phenomenology of sound, exploring how it sculpts architectural and virtual spaces, fostering a unique, embodied listener-centricity. The second section investigates the mnemonic power of soundscapes, drawing on theories of auditory memory to argue that sound art functions as a repository of cultural, personal, and collective memory, often challenging or complementing visual-centric historical narratives. The paper is supported by conceptual diagrams and analysis of works by leading sound artists, such as Janet Cardiff, Susan Philipsz, and Brian Eno. Through a synthesis of theoretical analysis and case studies, this article contends that soundscape art, through its dual engagement with space and memory, offers a potent and distinct mode of aesthetic and socio-political experience.