Philip Samartzis

Philip Samartzis is a sound artist, researcher, and curator interrogating the social and environmental conditions of remote regions and marginalised communities. He has worked in Antarctica and sub Antarctica, the Swiss and Australian Alps, and the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, deploying advanced audio technologies to register the changes occuring at the edges of our planet. In 2024, Philip received the RMIT Research Award for Engagement and Impact for advancing the exploration and understanding of environmental conditions in remote wilderness regions enriching the university's reputation in contemporary art and environmental research.   Philip has been awarded the Australian Antarctic Territory Fellowship three times and is currently leading a 20-year sound study of Antarctica, documenting the changing sonic environment of the ice continent. His book, Antarctica: An Absent Presence (Thames and Hudson), has become a key resource in soundscape studies and geohumanities, used by institutions including the London College of Communication and Durham University. In 2021, he was honoured with the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools Distinguished Research Award. Highlighting the significance of his research, Australia Post featured Philip on a $2.20 postage stamp commemorating the Australian Antarctic Territory Arts Fellowship.   In 2019, Philip was awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship to conduct research at the High Altitude Research Centre at Jungfraujoch, with outcomes featured in The New York Times and Deutsche Welle Radio. His alpine and Antarctic research has been exhibited internationally, including in Switzerland, France, Italy, China, and Japan. Recently, he received a Creative Australia International Engagement Grant to document subterranean soundscapes in Valais, Switzerland, in collaboration with the Verbier 3-D Foundation and Valais School of Art.   Philip has collaborated with leading organizations, including: • Australian Antarctic Division • Australian Network for Art and Technology • Bogong Centre for Sound Culture • Creative Australia  • Creative Victoria • High Altitude Research Station (Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat) • Martumili Arts • The National Gallery of Victoria • Swiss National Science Foundation • Tura • Verbier 3-D Foundation   Philip’s work combines art and research to document and interpret environmental and cultural change, positioning sound as a critical tool for understanding and communicating these transformations.