'Future Sonic Ecologies' Opening Celebration

25 Feb 2026
05:00pm - 07:00pm
FREE
First Site Gallery | Basement, 344 Swanston St Melbourne, VIC 3000

Join us to celebrate the opening of 'Future Sonic Ecologies: Re-making mangrove worlds through posthuman soundscape(s)' at First Site Gallery.

This On-Site exhibition by Pratyay Raha explores mangrove ecologies through acts of listening and the creation of posthuman soundscapes.

Mangroves are complex, dynamic habitats shaped by interwoven relationships between species, land, and water. Yet, their acoustic environments, influenced by tides, wind, animal movement, and complex rhythms, remain largely unexplored. Future Sonic Ecologies: Re-making mangrove worlds through posthuman soundscape(s) invites audiences to experience immersive sound installations, field recordings and visual materials that highlight these multispecies voices and environmental signals.

Underpinned by Pratyay Raha’s PhD research at RMIT University’s School of Art, this exhibition highlights listening as an active, critical method for engagement, urging audiences to attune to non-human worlds and question human-centric perspectives. It considers sound both as scientific data and as a medium for speculative art, encouraging discussions on conservation, environmental changeand regenerative futures. The materials featured in the exhibition were recorded across various mangrove ecologies in India’s Sundarbans, as well as in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria and North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, in Australia.

Through sensory engagement and collective reflection, Future Sonic Ecologies aims to deepen our understanding of mangrove environments and inspire responsive action for their protection, reminding us that the future of these worlds depends on listening, collaboration, and care across species boundaries.

Future Sonic Ecologies: Re-making mangrove worlds through posthuman soundscape(s) is a part of the On-Site exhibition suite, a project showcasing the creative research of RMIT postgraduate candidates.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Indigenous cultures

'Future Sonic Ecologies' Opening Celebration