Sonic Performativity
Paula Montecinos Oliva
Transdisciplinary artist and researcher from Chile currently based in Amsterdam.
Paula Montecinos Oliva (CL) is an artist, teacher and researcher based in the Netherlands. With a background in choreography, somatic education, and sound art, she explores the sonic body at the intersections of agency, memory, and collectivity. Her practice spans immersive sonic choreography, live electronics performance, experimental vocals, and radio broadcasts, conceived as vibrational architectures that shape spatiotemporal experience. She frequently engages in handcrafting sonic environments where antennas, synthesizers, microphones, and speaker-instruments open possibilities to gesture the politics and politics of noise, silence and plurality of bodies.
In recent years Paula has approached listening as an emancipatory practice through the long-form radiophonic project Sonic Feminist Fabulations (SFF) and Somatic Laboratory – Latinx Memories. These projects create space for sonic experimentation and embodied research, using sound, movement, and archival practices to challenge Eurocentric narratives and foster collective modes of sensing and knowing.
Her work has been presented internationally at venues such as WORM (NL), Sonic Matter Festival (CH), FLAM (NL), Transmediale (DE), Sonic Acts – Night Air (NL), IDlab (NL), Blob Together (AU), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (DE), Q-O2 (BE), ICK (NL), Festival Asimtria (PE), Come Together #4 (NL), Julidans (NL), Danzalborde (CL), Spain Cultural Center (CL), Parque Metropolitano (CL), and Spektrum (DE), among others.
For public engagements, collaborations, and commissions, please get in touch info@paulamonte.cl
Recent and upcoming
2024
- December 13th : Radio show & publication Sonic Feminist Fabulation (SFF), in the frame of Breaking the Algorithm Program at WORM Rotterdam.
- October - November 29.10/02.11 : Sonic Feminist Fabulation as part of WHISPERING SKINS FLAM+Museumnacht 2024
- 19th October: THIRD annual Forum at DAS Graduate School.
- July: Process sharing of When the far Becomes the Near. Research Interrupted. BAK Fellowship for Situated Practice, Utrecht.
2023
- November: Studio showing UNBOUND Sonic-spatial Performance. IDlab - Poetic laboratory for digital technologies.
— October: Guest Speaker at the The Hacked Orchestra @ Muziekgebouw aan 't Ij
— October: Sound composition for theather piece WUNDER directed by Juan Miranda. in Co-production with Sala Beckett (Barcelona) Schauspielhaus ( Vienna)
— August ~ September: Research esidency of project SONIC FABULATIVE FEMINISM. program at Transmediale, Berlin. Silent Green.
— Somatic Laboratory Trans*latinx Memories. ATD Amsterdam.
— August: UNBOUND at SUBURBIA Garage Noord, Amsterdam.
— Sound dramaturgy and sound installation FOAMS Mario Lopes. Students ECD, ATD Amsterdam.
— February: Sound performance AFROTRANSTOPIA, by Mario Lopes at Come Together#9, Frascati Theater.
—January: Lauching of the Fanzine Acuerpadxs. Part of the project Somatic Lab. Trans*latinx Memories.
2022
—December: Residency UNBOUND at WpZimmer. Antwerp
—December: Premiere DAS GIFT. Directed by Juan Miranda. Shauspiel – Staatstheater Hannover.
—November: Sonic intervention RED FOREST RADIOGRAM. In the frame of NOMADIC COSMOLOGIES AND FUGITIVE POWER.
—November: Forthcoming (Not Yet Here But Always Been There). A sonic collaboration with Devika Chotoe and Anne Jesuina. In responds to Patricia Kaersenhout’s exhibition in CBK.
—November: UNBOUND sonic performance at The Artist are Present Festival. ICK Dans Amsterdam
— September: THUNDER AND LIGHTING. A Conversation with Eduardo Molinari for Whole Life Repository, HKW, Berlin.
—July: UNBOUND sonic performance at Blob Together @Club PRTS. Vienna.
—June: Workshop (Un)bound Sounds. #FERALIZING New Alphabet School. Warsaw
—May: Sonic reading of Champurrias. For South Boom Boom magazine. Especial edition in Performance Philosophy Journal.
—May: ‘Kuir Sudaka Migrant Landscapes’ Talk and video featuring IPOP by DAS Research and ATD Amsterdam
—April: Residency In Transit: Ihlas _ a Constellation. Walking, Landscape and Natural Reserve. Madeira PL. Curated by Sara Anjo.
—March. Revolvə Site-specific sonic performance at The Whole Life Congress. Archives and Imaginaries. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin. Curated by Megan Hoetger.
—March: N/pantla with Devika Chotoe and Pedro Matias at Frascati Theater. Dolce Revoel SNDO graduation.
—March: Q-02 Residency. Workspace for experimental music and sound art. Brussels, Belgium.
—February: Residency Het Huis Utrecht. Netherlands. N/pantla by Paula Montecinos, Pedro Matias and Devika Chotoe.
2021
—November: Radio Silence Host– ICA London and DAS Graduate School, Amsterdam – How to think Symposium.
—November: N/pantla by Paula Montecinos and Pedro Matias at Sonic Acts venue, Night Air: Shock Waves, in OT301. Amsterdam.
—August: N/pantla by Paula Montecinos and Pedro Matias at Laurel Space Project.
—July: Silent Waves @ Various public spaces, Amsterdam. Public dance performance. Funding by Fonds Podiumkunsten.
—July: Walks of Arts Against Isolation, @ Various public spaces, Amsterdam Performed a 1-1 proposal in public space in Amsterdam. Funding by Fonds Podiumkunsten.
2019
— In The Drop Sonic choreography. MA Graduation project, presented at DAS Graduate School. Amsterdam. Netherlands
— STAMIRA[2026] Choreography and sound performance, 2020. Collaboration with Karina Villafán. Premiere at Julidans Festival, Brakke Grond Flemish Cultural Center. Amsterdam. Netherlands.
— June: Workshop. ON READING AND TRANSDUCING. Organized by GHOST Study Group No. 6 and Tender Center, Rotterdam.
— May: Las Cuatro Orillas soundwork, Festival Asimtria 16. PUMPUMYACHKAN Audiovisual and Sound Festival. Cusco, Perú.
— March: Archipielago Sonic choreography. Perform at Festival Come Together#5. Frascati Theater. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
— LISTENING THROUGH THE NOISE Live broadcast concert. Symposium Music Pours Over the Senses. Music department, University of Graz. Austria.
— ELEMENTARY CHARGE, Directed by visual artist Mette Sterre and presented at 20th year anniversary of TENT Rotterdam. Support by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds