Dr Eleni Ikoniadou

Eleni’s longstanding engagement with digital culture is informed by her understanding of the need for theory to be informed by practice, ‘critical fabulation’ and aesthetic experimentation. Her talks and papers often investigate how bringing together aesthetic, technoscientific, and fictional elements can activate new understandings of intelligibility and alternative modes of knowledge production. Since her MA in Interactive Media: Critical Theory and Practice at Goldsmiths College, she has investigated the impact of computational technologies on aesthetics, culture, and politics through audio art, interactive installation, experimental music, performance, and radio works, individually, through various collaborations and as part of the art group AUDINT (www.audint.net/www/).

Eleni’s latest research project, funded by the EPSRC Human-Data Interaction Network Plus, investigates machine learning in Art, Music & the Culture Industries. She co-edited the anthology Unsound: Undead (Urbanomic 2019) and produced a series of

exhibitions, under the same name, funded by the Arts Council of England (2018–2020). She is founder and co-editor of the Media Philosophy series (Rowman & Littlefield) and author of the monograph The Rhythmic Event: Art, Media and the Sonic published by The MIT Press in 2014, as part of the cutting-edge series Technologies of Lived Abstraction edited by Brian Massumi and Erin Manning.

Eleni’s sonic practice operates through audio essaying, vocal experiment, machine learning processes and generative techniques, to speculate on other possible worlds beyond the limits of what is known. By treating sound as cosmogenetic, rather than communicative, her work contributes to the areas of sonic fiction; unsound, sonic futurisms and fugitivity.

As well as exhibiting, performing, and curating at UK institutions such as the ICA, Barbican, TATE Britain, TATE Modern, Arebyte gallery, Spike Island, and Wysing Arts Centre, Eleni has presented internationally at media art festivals such as MUTEK Montreal, Loop Berlin, Transmediale/ CTM, Unsound Krakow, MIRA Barcelona, and Performing Arts Centre in France.

Latest projects include a commission for an in-situ art installation, series of workshops and a performance for Mysteries of Transition, Artistic Programme of Eleusis 2023 European Capital of Culture; and a vinyl album released on Maenads/ Hypermedium, funded by the EPSRC Human-Data Interaction Network Plus.

Polysonics research group, RKEI Research Development Fund (August 2021—2)

Polyphonic Intelligence, EPSRC Human-Data Interaction Network Plus (April 2020— 1)

SNAP Design Academy Community Outreach (August 2021)

SNAP Design Academy Community Outreach (August 2019)

Best KE collaboration of the Year, 2021/22

Joint winner, with Joseph Pochodzaj.

Award for developing partnership with the SNAP Design Academy over the period of three years and providing opportunities for marginalised and disadvantaged community college students.

Future Others
2022—23
Collaboration with Studio Synthetica.
In-situ art installation, series of workshops and performances for Mysteries of Transition, Artistic Programme of Eleusis 2023 European Capital of Culture.

Future Chorus
2022
Vinyl album released on Maenads/ Hypermedium.
Based on the lamenting of nine human voices (Abbas Zahedi, AGF, Elaine Mitchener, Eleni Ikoniadou, Jordan Edge, Joshua Leon, Lunatraktors, Ruth McGill, Sukitoa o Namau), and some text, a new AI voice was created (Mohab Tarek). Drawing on the human laments, the AI voice, and a cello lament (Viki Steiri), 7 musicians (AGF, Chino Amobi, Hargga [Dali de Saint Paul + Miguel Prado], Lafawndah + Trustfall, Savvas Metaxas) created 5 mixes. Concept and curation by Eleni Ikoniadou, art direction & design by Vasilis Marmatakis, funded by EPSRC Human-Data Interaction Network Plus.

we can we we everything else
1 May 2022 – 1 July 2022
Collaboration with Anne Duffau/ Maenads.
Sound installation for Weaving Worlds: ends as beginnings exhibition, curated by Daphne Dragona, Deree- the American College of Greece, Athens.

The Lamenters
1 October — 20 November 2021
Collaboration with Viki Steiri.
Audio essay for Wake Words exhibition, curated by The Golden Pixel Cooperative, Kunstraum Niederoesterreich, Vienna.

Polyphonic Chorus
18 November 2020
Collaboration with Caroline Schnurrer, Seke Chimutengwende, Viki Steiri. Film-performance at Siobhan Davies studio, commissioned by Theatrum Mundi for the virtual launch of Sonic Urbanism: The Political Voice

Unsound: Undead
22 August 2020
AUDINT radio mix for Wysing Polyphonic: The Ungoverned, curated by Anne Duffau.

Code Omega
2020
Collaboration with Savvas Metaxas. Audio essay commissioned by Nottingham Contemporary for The Sonic Continuum, The Contemporary Journal.

Obsidisorium
7—9 November 2019
AUDINT multi-sensory installation and live performance MIRA Digital Arts Festival, Barcelona

It Sings
5 October 2019
Collaboration with Savvas Metaxas. Audio essay for New Suns feminist literary festival, Barbican Centre, London.

Unsound: Undead
24 May — 15 June 2019
AUDINT exhibition, Arebyte Gallery, London

Her Voice
11 April 2019
Organiser and curator of an evening of live performance, sound, film and discussion event, ICA, London

Unsound: Undead
20–22 April 2018
AUDINT exhibition, talks and performances, Spike Island Bristol

Ikoniadou, E. (2022). The Chorus, In: Elena Biserna, ed., Walking, Listening, Sound-making: Expanding the Contexts and Praxis of Sound. Brussels: umland editions

Ikoniadou, E, and RCA colleagues (2021). Exercises in Exorcism, In: Capitalism’s Deadly Threat. Vienna: transform! Europe

Ikoniadou, E. (2020). Polyvocality Sonic Urbanism: The Political Voice. Paris: Theatrum Mundi

Ikoniadou E. and Goodman, S. and Heys, T. (2019). Unsound: Undead. Falmouth: Urbanomic

Ikoniadou, E. and Cameron, A. (2019). Specific Dissonances In: H. Schultze and S. Krogh Groth, eds, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Sound Art. London: Bloomsbury Press

Ikoniadou, E. (2018). What is Rhythm and What Can it Do? In: D. Pies and J. Verwoert, eds, What If It Won’t Stop Here?. UdK Berlin: Archive Books

Ikoniadou, E. (2017). Reorienting Aesthetics. In: Navigating Noise, K. Ergenzinger, ed., Art Research Kunstwissenschaftliche Bibliothek, Berlin: Walther König

Ikoniadou, E. (2017). A Sonic Theory Unsuitable for Human Consumption. In: J. Lavender, ed., Parallax Special Issue Sounding/Thinking, 23(3), pp. 252-265

Oxford: Taylor & Francis

Ikoniadou, E. and S. Wilson (2015). Media After Kittler, London: Rowman & Littlefield

Ikoniadou, E. (2014). Abstract Time and Affective Perception in the Sonic Work of Art. In: P Valiajo, M. Tiainen, J. Henriques, eds. Body & Society Special Issue Rhythms, 20(3&4), pp. 140-161, UK: Sage

Ikoniadou, E. (2014). The Rhythmic Event, Art, Media, and the Sonic. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press

(2019 to date)
Developing partnership.
SNAP Design Academy Community Outreach, Los Angeles.

(2020 to date)
Resident host on Movement Radio.
Onassis Foundation, Athens.

(2021 to date)
Editorial Board Member.
Immaterial, Design, Art and Society, BAU Design College of Barcelona.

(2021–22)
Mentor.
AMPLIFY Digital Arts Initiative (D.A.I), British Council/ Canada Council for the Arts/ MUTEK Montréal/ MUTEK Buenos Aires/ and Somerset House Studios

(2013 to date)
Founder & co-editor.
Media Philosophy series, Rowman & Littlefield.