Tonotopia: A Catalogue of Leaves

Tom Tlalim interview with cochlear implant user Sarah Smith.

Cochlear implants are the first integrated sensory augmentation technologies, enabling people with profound deafness to perceive sound digitally by wholly bypassing the ear and emitting signals directly to the hearing nerve.

As health services, biomedical industries and science and technology bodies compete for access to the data goldmine of the body, new ethical questions are emerging on subjectivity, agency, and intelligence within the hybrid continuum of the human-non-human apparatus. Sensory disability is increasingly aided by intelligent technologies that are integral to human sensory perception.

Tonotopia is a sound art project by Artist and composer Tom Tlalim, where he collaborated with users of cochlear implants, exploring their hearing / listening journeys with their digital ears. The project was first exhibited at two shows at the Victoria and Albert museum - 'Tonotopia: Listening Through Cochlear Implants' and 'The Future Starts Here' – where composing and curating sound art for a wide spectrum of hearing abilities has become a central theme.

Tom Tlalim is an artist, musician and writer whose work explores the relation between the senses, technology, ideology and subjectivity. In 2016 he was artist in residence at the V&A, developing sound art with cochlear implant users. Recent exhibitions include ‘Sound Envelope’ at Spark Festival HK (2021), ‘Tonotopia’ (solo, 2018-19) and ‘The Future Starts Here’ (group, 2018-20) at the Victoria and Albert museum, ‘Forensic Architecture’ (group, 2016) at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘Art in the age of … Asymmetric Warfare’ at Witte de With, Rotterdam (2015-16), ‘Hlysnan’ at Casino Luxemburg (group, 2014), the Marrakech Biennale (2012), as well as TodaysArt Japan (2014), and Stroom The Hague (2010), Transmediale (2009) and others. Tlalim’s work was nominated for the Prix Ars Electronica and the Tiger award at the IFFR. His collaborations with the choreographer Arkadi Zaides were performed internationally to a critical acclaim. Tlalim is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Research at the University of the Arts London. His work was published on Bloomsbury, Routledge, the Venice Biennial, 010 publishing, His PhD titled ‘The Sound System of the State’ (2017) was funded by the Mondriaan Foundation for the Arts. He holds MAs in Sonology and Composition from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.

Commissioned by the Victoria and Albert museum, supported by Action on Hearing Loss (RNID) Premiered: "The Future Starts Here" at the V&A, May 12, 2018. Tom Tlalim © 2018. All rights reserved.