VIAJE A LA DIMENSIÓN AZUL

Created as part of the thesis project for MA Sound Studies and Sonic Arts, UdK Berlin, 2024.

"Journey into the Blue Dimension" is a speculative fiction narrative that delves into the ethnomusicological exploration of an Indigenous community by a protagonist grappling with her own cultural identity and colonial legacy. Following Le Guin’s recipe for fiction, the story is set on the fictional planet of Croma and uses the protagonist's journey to unpack complex themes of cultural appropriation, sonic colonialism, and critical listening. As she records the music and rituals of the Azul Indigenous people, her experiences challenge her academic and personal assumptions and reveal the deep-seated impacts of colonial methodologies and the power dynamics embedded in ethnographic archives. Through her interactions, the protagonist confronts the ethical implications of her work, ultimately questioning whether she is perpetuating or challenging historical narratives of domination. This narrative not only critiques the extraction and commodification of Indigenous cultures but also explores the transformative potential of genuinely engaging with the more-than-human perspectives and the vibrant yet threatened tapestries of Indigenous life.

The initial inspiration for this project came from ethnomusicologist Isabel Artez’s sound archive of the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina, recorded in 1940 and 1941. Many songs in the archive were recorded anonymously, and to this day we have no way to identify the voices, since her journal is vague and gives almost no details about her travels on Indigenous territory (unlike her encounters with folklore musicians). This raises critical questions about identity erasure and its implications for historical narrative and cultural memory. Anonymity in the archival process can obscure the origins and significance of cultural artefacts, potentially leading to a homogenised interpretation of diverse cultures and contributing to the objectivization of Indigeneity as a product that transcends the individuality of its members. The project critiques this aspect of cultural documentation and explores how it shapes our understanding of the past and our projections for the future.