SOUNDING IN-BETWEENNESS
Sound art practice, multisensoriality, and translocal connections
By Luís Gomes da Costa
EIMAD ’26 Conference
ESART – Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas, Castelo Branco
The coordinator of Binaural Nodar, Luís Gomes da Costa, presented a paper on July 10th at the EIMAD ’26 conference – 10th International Meeting of Research in Music, Arts and Design, which took place at ESART – Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas in Castelo Branco.
Luís Costa’s paper, written as part of his research in the Doctoral Program in Artistic Creation at the University of Aveiro, investigates the concept of «in-betweenness» within sound art research, focusing on Binaural Nodar’s more than 20 years of work and on research into translocal rural artistic practices. From a methodological point of view, the paper draws on multi-sited ethnography, sound recording, and the composition of audiovisual essays to explore how sound functions as a medium that blurs boundaries, overcoming sensory, spatial, and disciplinary barriers.
The research examines acoustic ecologies in rural areas of southern Europe and demonstrates the capacity of sound to mediate translocal connections through comparative ethnographic and artistic practices.
Two case studies drawn from Binaural Nodar’s projects, by Manuela Barile and Ana Rodríguez, and two recent audiovisual essays illustrate how «in-betweenness» facilitates relational listening, acoustic mediation, and the creation of layered multisensory experiences. This approach offers an innovative framework for understanding the role of rural sound art in cultural translation and place-making.
Luis Gomes da Costa thanks his supervisory team, composed of Graça Magalhães, Susana Nascimento Duarte, and Sérgio Eliseu, for their collaboration.
Binaural Nodar is a cultural organization supported by the Portuguese Republic – Culture, Youth, and Sports | Directorate-General for the Arts.
