Maria Papadomanolaki - Sound & Transmission Art
Maria Papadomanolaki is a sound artist and educator based in Chania, Crete, Greece. Papadomanolaki has studied linguistics and literature at the Aristoteleion University of Thessaloniki before moving on to sound art and sound studies, having completed a PhD on the topic ‘Sonic Perceptual Ecologies’ at CRISAP, LCC, UAL. Her practice integrates collective work, walking, sonic pedagogy, and transmission art to cultivate critical, attentive listening across remote and situated environments
Her transmission and sound-led curatorial work for Soundcamp/Reveil and Festival of Sound and Ecology, as well as her series of site-specific soundwalking performances entitled A Certain Geography, have been characterised by audience members as ‘original,’ ‘extraordinary,’ and ‘transformative.’ Similarly, through her critically acclaimed music releases under her Dalot alias, her sound design for dance, and her music performances, Maria blends sound and music to explore diverse aesthetic and technological forms of expression, creating audience experiences that pose questions, prompt interaction, and encourage reflection.
Since 2010, Maria has been leading workshops for public events, and she has been teaching at various academic and educational institutions in the US, UK, and Greece. As a senior lecturer and course leader (2017-2020) at the University of Brighton's Digital Music and Sound Arts course (currently renamed as Electronic Music and Sound), she successfully designed innovative curriculum activities as well as public-facing and community outreach projects that had a strong impact on the course's overall performance (including a leap from the 65th to the 25th place for the subject area of "Music" on the Guardian's 2020-21 UK University league table).
She has researched and co-edited the books ‘sounds remote’ (Soundcamp/Uniformbooks 2016), ‘Transmission Arts: Artists & Airwaves’ (PAJ Publications, 2011) and has contributed a chapter to the book ‘Radio Content in the Digital Age’ (Intellect Books, 2011). Her research and writing have also been published on Organised Sound (Cambridge University Press), Nefeli Editions, Galaad Edizioni, Leonardo Journal, and Performance Research, as well as in print and online music resources including acloserlisten (US), Velvet Magazine (GR), ATHENSVOICE (GR), fluid-radio (UK), Sonic Field (CO), and Artcards Review NY (US).
Papadomanolaki has collaborated with various institutions across Europe, UK, the US and Asia to create new work and research including Wave Farm, the Ontological-Hysteric Theater, Cabinet Magazine, Issue Project Room, The British Library, Royal College of Arts, the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Athens Biennale, Greek National Opera and Onassis Stegi.
Papadomanolaki has received funding for her work and research from The Schilizzi Foundation, The Alexander Onassis Foundation, University of The Arts London, Arts Council England, Sound and Music, H&L Fund England and Creative Europe. She has received an award by the Nagogya University of the Arts for her interactive installation entitled ‘Stoma’.
Maria is a Higher Education Academy Fellow and is the co-founder of the non-profit organisation 'SoundCamp' as well as a member of the highly acclaimed 'Shortwave Collective'.