This talk explores expanded frames for sonic investigation through the lens of genocide and its aftermath, building on the investigation agency Earshot’s claim that sound and listening can reveal forms of violence that exceed dominant visual paradigms of evidence. Drawing on earwitness testimonies of Armenian genocide survivors, alongside sonic and atmospheric approaches to contemporary conflict, Prof. Ouzounian examines a set of concepts for investigating violence through sound: sonic memory, sonic residues, aftersound, and sonic weather. She considers testimonies that describe sounds that remain »in the ears« days or even decades later – embodied traces of mass violence that persist beyond the moment of killing. She also addresses less visible modes of violence, including atmospheric occupation and vibrational warfare, in which air and built environments are weaponized through pressure, turbulence, and chronic sonic threat. Finally, she proposes a »negative acoustics« attentive to absence, disappearance, and denial – treating what cannot be heard as a form of evidence.

This talk stems from Prof. Ouzounian’s forthcoming book, The Trembling City: The Sonic and Atmospheric Violence of Vibrational Warfare (MIT Press, Fall 2026).

Where: DAAD Galerie, Berlin, first floor. As part of the CTM Festival: https://www.ctm-festival.de

When: Sunday, 25 January 2026, 2-3 pm

Event Access

Please consult CMT festival Accessibility section for information on volume / lighting, mobility, age restrictions and other access information.