Drift, Static, Signal

Over the hundred-plus years since Australian photographer Frank Hurley captured some of the earliest and most iconic images of Antarctica, approximately 145 Australian artists and writers have visited Antarctica in a professional capacity. Most of these have been visual artists; however, in the last twenty-five years or so, this history has also included artists working with the medium of sound, including sound art, as well as more traditional forms of musical composition and performance. According to our research, at least eight professional Australian artists primarily working with sound have undertaken residencies in Antarctica during this timeframe. In this article, we draw on data from questionnaires and interviews with several well-established Australian musicians, composers, and sound artists who have held Antarctic residencies to provide an analysis of the impact of their residency experiences on their resulting creative approaches and outputs. In doing so, we aim to shed light on the important role that residency experiences can play in the lives and careers of artists working with sound and to draw attention to the significant work of Australian musicians, composers, and sound artists in fostering understanding, appreciation, and protection of Antarctica, within Australia and abroad.