NOISE is about generating critical thinking
Three Acts
Las Gritas by Rocío Calvo is more than a piece of radio art; it’s a performative experience that transcends mere listening. It’s impossible to hear it without feeling how sound lives and transforms before us. Rocío’s profound grasp of language, shaped by her academic and professional journey, results in a vibrant proposition that challenges us from a visceral standpoint. The piece unfolds in three acts: Silence, Noise, Silence.
Call and a Break
Silence, often marginalized in radio traditions, emerges here as an act of resistance. From the onset, an authoritative voice states that silence has no place in the medium—a declaration that resonates like a sentence. In this context, silence becomes the heart of critical reflection, evoking the brutality of times when staying silent was the only safe option. What does it mean to deny silence in sound art? Isn’t it, in fact, discarding one of the most potent resources of artistic communication?
This perspective urges us to rethink silence not merely as an absence of sound but as an active presence that calls for deep introspection and reflection. It’s the prelude to the storm—the calm that precedes the eruption.
Manifesto of Expression
The second act emerges as a noise explosion that subverts the established order. Noise no longer stands as the antagonist of clear messages but as the voice that screams what silence hints at. In this work, noise becomes a symbol of resistance and sonic emancipation—a cry demanding to be heard, breaking free from the paradigm that labels it as negative or disruptive.
The author transforms noise into an acoustic narrative that opens space for critical thought. It’s a call to reflect on the contemporary information overload and how truly significant matters are often drowned out by trivial noise. Can noise not also be a tool to create new narratives and challenge the status quo?
A Lingering Unease
The conclusion returns to silence, but this time not as a refuge, but as a latent unease. After the explosion, silence remains charged with unresolved questions and reflections. What do we do with all the acquired knowledge? Will we just listen to the echo of what others have said, or will we dare to confront silence with new meanings?
This final pause is the most disturbing of all, as it leaves the listener facing an uncomfortable truth: noise can transform perception, but silence can be the echo of what was never said.
Las Gritas is a work that challenges sonic hegemony and raises profound questions about the role of silence and noise in artistic communication. Rocío Calvo masterfully transforms these elements into critical devices that open new expressive possibilities in contemporary sound art.
We recommend listening to it here.