Acoustic Memories \\ MONOM at Piel View House

An immersive spatial audio installation exploring the acoustic memory of extraction.

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MONOM presents Acoustic Memories, an immersive spatial audio installation to explore the acoustic memory of extraction and the hidden infrastructures beneath Barnsley and Barrow, two towns shaped by the post-industrial landscapes of the North of England. Drawing on archival research, industrial histories, and the evolving ecologies that have emerged in their wake, the work forms a dense sonic composition that moves between hyperreal atmosphere and surreal abstraction.

The installation positions sound as a form of spatial archaeology, addressing the social histories and invisible infrastructures that continue to shape the region. Using the spatial capabilities of MONOM’s 4D sound system, the installation reveals a landscape shaped by larger forces while interweaving the resilience of the ecologies and communities that persist.

Blending memory, historical fragments, and abstract sonic experimentation, the work asks how sound can carry traces of labour, collective experience, and industrialisation across generations. In doing so, it reflects on the enduring presence of post/industry and how these forces continue to shape the societies that surround and uphold them.

Acoustic Memories premiered at AND Festival 2026 in Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley and will be presented at Piel View House with Full of Noises in Barrow-in-Furness as part of the Festival’s touring programme.

The experience also includes MONOM’s archival work HEXEN.

Acoustic Memories at AND Festival 2026

Shipyard audio provided from archive material held by the Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness.

Acoustic Memories by MONOM is commissioned and produced by Abandon Normal Devices (AND) for AND Festival 2026 with development and touring support from Full Of Noises. Supported using public funding through the National Lottery by Arts Council England, with further support from Barnsley Council.