Radio Earth Hold

About

Earth Hold traces echoes between anti-occupation movements in Palestine and anti-racism/indigeneity struggles in the North American context. Their research is channelled through artistic strategies, forms, conversations, and ideas—that is, the aesthetic or dramaturgical sides of political movements.

Radio Earth Hold marks a narrowing of their focus, by turning attention to the acoustics, acousmatics and frequencies of both Palestinian and North American struggles, as well as the possibility of sonic solidarity (or sonic dissensus) across each geographic region. Their choice to follow this research into and through radio draws both from its historical application, dissemination, and strategic use as a political and aesthetic tool, but also as a mode and structure that has planetary potential. From historic pirate radios, broadcast from roving, untraceable ships; to natural radio, the frequency and sound made by our environment; to the way radio-waves can mutate DNA sequences—all indicate different ways of organising geography, space and difference itself.

The first broadcast will bring together collective research into legacies of radio and telecommunications technology in Palestine, and the role of radical midwifery at Standing Rock, addressing the expanded notions of communication and solidarity both embody. The following episodes are commissioned from artists and interlocutors, taking the form of audio-essays, mixtapes, and interviews. These will be broadcast monthly through a network of distributed radio station partners.

Radio Earth Hold is commissioned as part of the collateral program of this year’s Palestinian biennial, Qalandiya International IV. Following a public workshop at Gasworks, London—which explored notions of sonic solidarity—from October the project will take the form of a distributed radio series, and day of conversation and collective listening at the Serpentine Galleries, London.

Earth Hold is an ongoing research project examining the aesthetics, problems and possibilities of international solidarity. It is initiated by Rachel Dedman, Arjuna Neuman and Lorde Selys.

Commissioned broadcasts from:

Inas Halabi
Basma Al-Sharif and Sky Hopinka
Ravon Chacon and Autumn Chacon

Partner radio stations include:

Radio Beirut, Beirut 
Comet Radio, London
Khiasma Radio, Paris
Kchung, Los Angeles
Marfa Radio, Texas

The episodes will also be made available online through the Qalandiya International website.