Utopia of Sound explores the growing significance of sound as a distinct aesthetic and cultural phenomenon in contemporary art, film, and visual culture.

Bringing together contributions by artists, theorists, and scholars from a range of disciplines and geographies, the publication examines how sound, noise, and acoustic space intersect with the utopian potential of artistic practices.

At its core, the book investigates how sonic elements can generate speculative, transformative, or counter-hegemonic experiences—offering alternatives to the visual regime and dominant modes of perception. The essays address the increasing autonomy of soundtracks and sound design in cinema, pop culture, and mass media, analyzing how these shifts reshape our sensory engagement with the world and influence broader structures of representation and meaning.

The volume also reflects on the institutionalization of sound: the rise of sound art and sound design as professional fields, the development of academic programs, and the growing body of research that frames sound through scientific and theoretical lenses. By mapping these developments, Utopia of Sound presents a multifaceted view of how sound is both produced and theorized today.

The contributions range from case studies and critical essays to experimental and speculative approaches, drawing from acoustic ecology, media theory, sonic activism, and contemporary art. The publication brings together perspectives from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United States, Canada, and Japan—offering a rich and polyphonic discourse on the political, sensory, and utopian dimensions of sound in contemporary culture.