By Melanie Garland

A multimodal article, published by HUB – Journal of Research in Art, Design and Society (Issue #6, Spring 2026), as part of the Instituto de Investigação em Arte, Design e Sociedade at Faculdade de Belas Artes U.Porto. Alongside inspiring artists and scholars, Garland explored the theme of ‘Resonance’ as a social and artistic relational practice. 

In Sounding a Speculative Past, Garland reflects on the soundscape composition and collective listening session she created during her 2025 fellowship at the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum. The piece delves into the histories of the saltpetre trade and its transoceanic resonances between Hamburg and Chile.

Participants in the collective listening session were Chilean and German-based scholars from Deutsche Schiffmuseum, Hafenmuseum Hamburg, and Museo Maritimo de Chile, as well as the artists Michelle-Marie Letelier, Mabel Sepuleda Julio, and Irmelin Sloman. 

Article available here