Sonic Spaces: Sounds of the Earth performance & discussion

Part of NYC PIT Pop-Up’s inaugural Sonic Spaces series exploring the intersection of sound/music with public interest technology.

Sounds of Earth is a live performance and public conversation that reimagines the archive as a collective “sound ark.” Inspired by NASA’s 1977 Golden Record, the project reflects on how voices, music, and media technologies serve as vessels of preservation.

The evening features a transatlantic experiment: from Berlin, opera singer Lola Volonakis performs live in dialogue with her AI double in New York. Using high-resolution vocal modeling, the AI reinterprets fragments of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (one of the musical selections NASA sent to represent humanity in 1977), challenging notions of authorship, replication, and cultural heritage.

The performance will be immediately followed by a public conversation on media preservation and public interest technology featuring Lola Volonakis, Camille Jeanjean (Villa Albertine), and Aurelie Barbier (Space to the People).

Sounds of Earth is part of Space to the People’s ongoing exploration of “space arks” and who decides what is worth carrying forward. It builds on our collaborative project Worlds We Carry, previously presented at the NYC PIT Pop Up, extending this inquiry from visual archives to sound and voices.

 The event will allow for a limited in-person capacity and will be livestreamed. RSVP here to attend.