Norient

Biography

Norient opens up the world through music and sound. We conceive audio and noise as seismographs of our time and facilitate space and place for thinkers and artists to reflect on the now and tomorrow. Our goal is to challenge surface realities and the mainstream, fight algorithms and initiate dialogue across people and continents.

The digital gallery, Norient’s space «The Now in Sound», tells new stories about the world through audio-visual exhibitions, academic research, quality journalism, broad- and podcasts, photography, video and film. Norient Places includes the biannual Norient Film Festival and its satellites, lectures, performances or concerts which are curated and co-curated with our growing network of partners from fifty countries. Norient Press offers publications and releases. And the upcoming Norient Lab experiments with new formats and practices on how to perform music and sound research in the future.

WE TELL OUR STORIES THROUGH THE EAR. WHY?

Audio phenomena are seismographs of time. Music from niche scenes, sound recordings from cities, villages or nature, and noises from factories or warfare are precise indicators on what is happening today. Through the ear we observe, discover and reflect about the variety of changes we go through on our planet. And we explore through contemporary music what is thinkable today and possible tomorrow.

«In 2002, Norient was an attack on Orientalism and Exoticism. It was about opening up to contemporary music and expressions from the non-Western world. Now it is about creating a true community of thinkers and artists.»
Thomas Burkhalter, founder and director of Norient

Team:

Director + Founder Norient
Thomas Burkhalter

Co-Creator Norient Space
Sandra Passaro

Curators Norient Space
Theresa Beyer
Hannes Liechti
Philipp Rhensius

Tag: film festival, film, digital gallery, experimental, ethnomusicology, performing music research, music journalism, audio visual performances