Satch Hoyt: Afro-Sonic Mapping

Visual artist Satch Hoyt creates an acoustic map of colonial history, tracing sounds from its origins, and its subsequent transformations in migration. Starting with the earliest recordings of African music made between 1890 and 1907 by anthropologists, the artist connects the rhythm patterns to various current music genres within the diverse, transnational African diaspora, as well as globally popular music styles. “For Hoyt, the sonic opens a portal to the acoustic mappings of history – testimonies of enslavement, resistance, empowerment and liberation.” Research for this project started in 2016 with the support of Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin, Germany.