From 8 to 19 November 2023, Jordan Lacey, PhD from RMIT University in Melbourne (Australia) will be the guest of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Silesia in Katowice.
As part of the research and teaching project ‘Analysis of the education process, scientific research and design in the context of responding to social needs, ecology and business partners’ public lectures, workshops and consultations are planned. The events are addressed to all interested research and teaching staff and students of the University of Silesia, as well as to people from the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.
Jordan Lacey, PhD will visit the University of Silesia at the invitation of Małgorzata Kądziela, PhD and the Cultural Theory and History Research Team from the Institute of Culture Studies of the University of Silesia.
Jordan Lacey
Jordan Lacey, PhD is a transdisciplinary practitioner and researcher specialising in sound theory, soundscape design, and the creation of public art sound installations. He works at the School of Design at RMIT University in Melbourne, where he teaches a speculative design studio and a research programme on creative practices.
During his academic career, he became known as an innovator in the field of creative research on sound and the design of urban soundscapes. His book Sonic Rupture: a practice-led approach to urban soundscape design (2016) has had a significant impact on thinking and practice in the field of urban landscapes. J. Lacey, PhD develops the methodology of creative practice, among others, within the framework of acoustic ecology, introducing the theory of affect into the practice of soundscape design.
In his second book Urban Roar: a psychophysical approach to the design of affective environments (2022), J. Lacey, PhD develops a new, philosophical approach to artistic practice, integrating affect theory and sound research with Deleuze’s “Jungian turn”. The book also develops the theory and practice of atmosphere and proposes methods for integrating artistic practice with design programmes.
Jordan Lacey, PhD has been the recipient of two significant research grants: a Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2018) at RMIT University, as part of which he completed two significant industry-funded projects aimed at developing new thinking and practice in sound placemaking, and an Australian DECRA Scientific Council Award (2019–2022), as part of which he developed the theory and practice of biophilic sound design, exploring the possibilities of combining natural sounds and plants with urban installations.
He curated the exhibition ‘Translating Ambiance’ at Yarra Sculpture Gallery (2019), a project with 12 local and international artists testing the idea of translating the experiences of natural environments into urban spaces. This work formed the basis of the permanent urban sound installation ‘Sonic Gathering Place’ in central Melbourne.
Jordan Lacey, PhD is an associate editor of the Journal of Sonic Studies, a regular reviewer for academic publications at Routledge, Rowman and Littlefield in Bloomsbury, and a number of academic journals, including Loci Communes published by the University of Silesia.
Jordan Lacey, PhD from RMIT University in Melbourne (Australia)
Meeting schedule
From 8 to 15 November 2023 Jordan Lacey, PhD will participate in scientific research, closed consultations and seminars for employees and students of the Institute of Culture Studies of the University of Silesia and the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology.
16 November 2023 at 1.00 p.m. there will be an open lecture by Jordan Lacey, PhD titled ‘A new materialist investigation of singing bowls’. According to J. Lacey, PhD, in the second half of the 20th century, dubious narratives developed regarding the healing potential of “quartz” and Tibetan singing bowls. During the lecture, the author will present evidence that none of the bowls in question have either sound or spiritual roots. A performative research process will be presented, activating the sound materiality of singing bowls, showing the potential of new materialist approaches to grounding spiritual discourse.
The second lecture, ‘Sonic rupture as a tool for urban placemaking‘, will take place on the same day at 5 p.m. ‘Sonic rupture…’ is a practice-based approach to urban design that simultaneously transforms sound environments and auditory perception. In the Australian context, a series of urban installations by J. Lacey, PhD and others will be presented, thanks to which the “sonic rupture” approach will be extrapolated as both a theoretical and practical contribution to design.
Both open lectures will be held at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Silesia, ul. Uniwersytecka 4 in Katowice. To participate, please complete the registration form. Registration for both meetings will start on 3 November at 8.00 p.m. and will be open until 15 November at 1.00 p.m.
‘Analysis of the education process, scientific research and design in the context of responding to social needs, ecology and business partners. Project in cooperation with Jordan Lacey, PhD (School of Design, RMIT Melbourne, Australia)’ was financed by Metropolis GZM under the ‘Metropolitan Science Support Fund’ programme in 2022-2024.