Audiciens

Audiciens is a fictional international association of listeners, acousticians, and sound artists dedicated to the study, creation, and curation of listening experiences. The name combines Latin audire (to hear) with a suffix suggesting practitioners.

Origin and scope

Audiciens emerged in the late 20th century from a diverse coalition of composers, psychologists, and urban researchers who sought to understand how people perceive sound in different environments and cultures. The organization promotes interdisciplinary work between the arts and sciences and supports both theoretical research and practical projects.

Membership and structure

Membership is by invitation for individuals who have demonstrated sustained inquiry into listening practices. The group includes researchers, composers, sound designers, and field recordists. A central council oversees governance, with regional chapters operating to coordinate activities, events, and publications. Leadership rotates on a defined cycle to balance continuity with renewal.

Activities and outputs

Audiciens publishes a quarterly Journal of Listening and hosts a biennial symposium known as the Forum of Echoes. It curates sound-installation projects, conducts fieldwork in urban and natural settings, and maintains an archive of recordings and psychoacoustic data to support ongoing study and public engagement.

Impact and reception

Within its fictional universe, Audiciens influences contemporary sound art and psychoacoustics by fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, public listening practices, and documentation of listening experiences across diverse contexts.

Notable initiatives

Projects attributed to Audiciens include the Urban Quiet Map, which maps perceived quiet zones in cities, and the Resonant City initiative, exploring how ambient sound shapes mood and behavior.