Victoria Sarangova
Victoria Sarangova

 

Archaeology Of Progress is a series of site-specific works examining the notion of progress through the critical lens.

Using sound performance and installation—drawing on local archives as well as sampling, improvisation and field recording—I explore each site’s history.

These explorations reveal the impacts of industrialization, the lasting effects of colonialism and imperialism, and the twisted ways in which ideologies and myths are constructed.

Archaeology Of Progress. Redruth (2019)

In the second phase of my site-specific sound project, developed during a residency at CMR Redruth in Cornwall, UK, I explored the town's industrial, environmental, and cultural history through collaboration.

This included sound sessions with Martin Pease and SJ Blackmore, plant studies with Harriet Coleman and Alice Mahoney, and conversations with historian Tristan Berry.

These elements, along with field recordings and local archive research, were integrated into a broader investigation of Redruth’s mining heritage, the development of local electronic music, shifts in the regional economy, and open discussions about post-industrial change and speculative futures.

 

Our weekly public discussions at CMR created a communal space to think critically about Redruth’s transformation, drawing on theoretical frameworks including the work of Mark Fisher, whose ideas on hauntology and lost futures resonated deeply with the area’s liminal atmosphere. We also explored the speculative power of science fiction as a tool for reimagining place, time, and agency beyond dominant narratives.

The project culminated in an immersive experience that invited audiences into a multi-sensory reflection on these themes. This included a bespoke scentscape derived from locally foraged materials, a participatory workshop on plants and place led by Harriet Coleman, a layered soundscape composed with Martin Pease that wove together archival echoes and present-day field recordings, and a final public discussion led by Alice Mahoney that revisited and reframed the questions raised throughout the residency. Together, these elements acted as a living composition—part memorial, part speculation—illuminating the complex entanglements of history, environment, and imagination that shape how we understand progress.

Victoria Sarangova

 

Archaeology Of Progress is a series of site-specific works examining the notion of progress through the critical lens.

Using sound performance and installation—drawing on local archives as well as sampling, improvisation and field recording—I explore each site’s history.

These explorations reveal the impacts of industrialization, the lasting effects of colonialism and imperialism, and the twisted ways in which ideologies and myths are constructed.

Archaeology Of Progress. Redruth (2019)

In the second phase of my site-specific sound project, developed during a residency at CMR Redruth in Cornwall, UK, I explored the town's industrial, environmental, and cultural history through collaboration.

This included sound sessions with Martin Pease and SJ Blackmore, plant studies with Harriet Coleman and Alice Mahoney, and conversations with historian Tristan Berry.

These elements, along with field recordings and local archive research, were integrated into a broader investigation of Redruth’s mining heritage, the development of local electronic music, shifts in the regional economy, and open discussions about post-industrial change and speculative futures.

 

Our weekly public discussions at CMR created a communal space to think critically about Redruth’s transformation, drawing on theoretical frameworks including the work of Mark Fisher, whose ideas on hauntology and lost futures resonated deeply with the area’s liminal atmosphere. We also explored the speculative power of science fiction as a tool for reimagining place, time, and agency beyond dominant narratives.

The project culminated in an immersive experience that invited audiences into a multi-sensory reflection on these themes. This included a bespoke scentscape derived from locally foraged materials, a participatory workshop on plants and place led by Harriet Coleman, a layered soundscape composed with Martin Pease that wove together archival echoes and present-day field recordings, and a final public discussion led by Alice Mahoney that revisited and reframed the questions raised throughout the residency. Together, these elements acted as a living composition—part memorial, part speculation—illuminating the complex entanglements of history, environment, and imagination that shape how we understand progress.