ON SOUND/IN SOUND
Filter
24/04/2026 - 07/06/2026.
Video animation, 4K, stereo sound
CGI and animation by Yorgos Papafigos.
Sound design by Dimitris Batsis.
Presented as a video projection in Straining Against the Frame, the solo exhibition of Yorgos Papafigos at CYPHER, Athens.
Curated by Dinos Chatzirafailidis.
Filter is a video art work by Yorgos Papafigos and Dimitris Batsis that investigates the relationship between form, energy, and transformation within an unstable visual field. At its center stands a vertical metal shaft rotating slowly in darkness. Attached to it are two semi-transparent, worn mesh structures with a flesh-like texture. As the axis turns, hybrid forms continuously emerge and disappear across and through these membranes: avian presences, animal and organic fragments, ambiguous objects, and transitional subjectivities that appear to pass from one state into another.
The filter emerges here as a mechanism of selection, distortion, and transition. Whatever appears on the surface of the work never fully stabilizes; it is only temporarily registered, transformed, and ultimately returned to an invisible field. In this way, Filter resonates with contemporary social and technological conditions, in which experience, identity, and memory are increasingly constituted through systems of mediation, processing, and continuous feedback.
The rotating metal shaft alludes to an industrial component, while the pulsating forms that traverse the meshes bring to the fore energy as an invisible yet active force that drives, shapes, and continually redefines the world. The work thus proposes an allegory for contemporary experience: an environment in which nothing remains fixed or immutable, but where everything passes through filters, fields, and processes of constant transformation.
Photos by Stathis Mamalakis.
Video animation, 4K, stereo sound
CGI and animation by Yorgos Papafigos.
Sound design by Dimitris Batsis.
Presented as a video projection in Straining Against the Frame, the solo exhibition of Yorgos Papafigos at CYPHER, Athens.
Curated by Dinos Chatzirafailidis.
Filter is a video art work by Yorgos Papafigos and Dimitris Batsis that investigates the relationship between form, energy, and transformation within an unstable visual field. At its center stands a vertical metal shaft rotating slowly in darkness. Attached to it are two semi-transparent, worn mesh structures with a flesh-like texture. As the axis turns, hybrid forms continuously emerge and disappear across and through these membranes: avian presences, animal and organic fragments, ambiguous objects, and transitional subjectivities that appear to pass from one state into another.
The filter emerges here as a mechanism of selection, distortion, and transition. Whatever appears on the surface of the work never fully stabilizes; it is only temporarily registered, transformed, and ultimately returned to an invisible field. In this way, Filter resonates with contemporary social and technological conditions, in which experience, identity, and memory are increasingly constituted through systems of mediation, processing, and continuous feedback.
The rotating metal shaft alludes to an industrial component, while the pulsating forms that traverse the meshes bring to the fore energy as an invisible yet active force that drives, shapes, and continually redefines the world. The work thus proposes an allegory for contemporary experience: an environment in which nothing remains fixed or immutable, but where everything passes through filters, fields, and processes of constant transformation.
Photos by Stathis Mamalakis.
Among Wolves
16/05/2025 – 15/02/2026.
Soundscape composition.
Featured in the Sonic Space of the exhibition Why Look at Animals? A Case for the Rights of Non-Human Lives.
National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), Athens.
Curated by Joanna Zielińska (Sonic Space) and Katerina Gregos.
24-28/11/2025: MANTRA2025 – The Art of Healing, presented at Teatro Prometeo, Quito, Ecuador.
29/10/2025 – Featured in the radio episode Epirus | The Voice of the Mountain, Strange Attractor radio show, ERT Third Programme curated by Marilena Marangou.
The work engages with principles of Acoustic Ecology, focusing on biophony and soundscape analysis. It contributes to the EchoLoci soundscaper platform by documenting the natural sound diversity of Central Zagori and exploring the relationship between biodiversity and seasonal environmental changes. Through this dynamic interplay of natural and human-generated soundscapes, the composition reflects broader ecological systems and the urgency of ecological awareness.
Presented within the Sonic Space of EMST’s landmark exhibition Why Look at Animals?, curated by Joanna Zielińska, the piece aligns with the exhibition’s overarching theme: challenging anthropocentric thinking and advocating for the recognition of animals as sentient beings. Inspired by John Berger’s seminal essay, the exhibition – the largest in EMST’s history – spans all floors of the museum and includes over 200 works by more than 60 international artists.
Among Wolves, through its ecological focus, invites audiences to engage with the acoustic presence of non-human life and the fragile balance of natural ecosystems. Its inclusion in this exhibition underscores the role of sound not only as a medium for artistic expression but also as a vehicle for political, ethical, and environmental advocacy.
Soundscape composition.
Featured in the Sonic Space of the exhibition Why Look at Animals? A Case for the Rights of Non-Human Lives.
National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), Athens.
Curated by Joanna Zielińska (Sonic Space) and Katerina Gregos.
24-28/11/2025: MANTRA2025 – The Art of Healing, presented at Teatro Prometeo, Quito, Ecuador.
29/10/2025 – Featured in the radio episode Epirus | The Voice of the Mountain, Strange Attractor radio show, ERT Third Programme curated by Marilena Marangou.
The work engages with principles of Acoustic Ecology, focusing on biophony and soundscape analysis. It contributes to the EchoLoci soundscaper platform by documenting the natural sound diversity of Central Zagori and exploring the relationship between biodiversity and seasonal environmental changes. Through this dynamic interplay of natural and human-generated soundscapes, the composition reflects broader ecological systems and the urgency of ecological awareness.
Presented within the Sonic Space of EMST’s landmark exhibition Why Look at Animals?, curated by Joanna Zielińska, the piece aligns with the exhibition’s overarching theme: challenging anthropocentric thinking and advocating for the recognition of animals as sentient beings. Inspired by John Berger’s seminal essay, the exhibition – the largest in EMST’s history – spans all floors of the museum and includes over 200 works by more than 60 international artists.
Among Wolves, through its ecological focus, invites audiences to engage with the acoustic presence of non-human life and the fragile balance of natural ecosystems. Its inclusion in this exhibition underscores the role of sound not only as a medium for artistic expression but also as a vehicle for political, ethical, and environmental advocacy.
Group exhibition.
Εἰ λώιον καὶ ἄμεινον ἔσται.
Archaeological Museum of Ioannina, Greece.
Exhibition of artworks inspired by the oracular lead tablets of Dodona, featuring students of the Department of Fine Arts and Art Sciences, School of Fine Arts, University of Ioannina.
Curated by Eudoxia Karagiannopoulou and Ioannis Kokkalis.
10–12/10/2025: First presentation as part of the international conference Dodona: The Oracular Lamellae, organised by the Department of Classics, University of Ioannina, within the IConiC – Innovative Contributions in Classics conference series, in collaboration with the Municipality of Dodoni.
A slender rod, supported by a solid base, carries on its body a small magnet facing a coil. Together, they form an immaterial dialogue: pulsed energy is transferred, sound is born and amplified, creating a new form of divination.In antiquity, people posed their questions to the Oracle of Dodona, awaiting answers. In this artwork, the element of uncertainty and anticipation is adopted symbolically: sound emerges only if—and when—the rod is activated by a current of air. The chance of the moment determines whether the sculpture will remain silent or resonate, evoking the waiting and the unknown that accompany every question directed toward the divine. Randomness becomes part of the work: the rod vibrates not by necessity, but by potential, leaving space for interpretation and for the viewer’s participation. The anticipation of the moment when the work will “speak” connects to the primordial human experience of standing before the mystery of existence.
Protest / Transition
24/03-28/09/2025.
Soundscape compositions.
Presented on board public buses in Braga, Portugal, as part of Connecting Commutes (Trajetos Comunicantes), an official project of Braga, Portuguese Capital of Culture 2025.
"Protest" and "Transition", are part of Connecting Commutes (Trajetos Comunicantes), an official project of Braga, Portuguese Capital of Culture.This ongoing sound installation takes place inside public buses in Braga, Portugal, transforming transit into a space for listening, reflection, and imagination. As you can see in the photo, specially installed speakers mounted above the seats make it possible to bring these works directly into the shared space of daily travel. The project explores themes of mobility, territory, public space, and community through sound. From now until 28 September 2025, my works will be playing on selected TUB bus lines, starting with routes 87 and 96, and moving throughout the city in the coming months. If you're in Braga, you might hear them on your ride.
Protest
"Protest" is a sound composition that captures the urgency and emotional weight of a recent demonstration held in Ioannina on January 26, 2025, in remembrance of the Tempi train crash that occurred on February 28, 2023. Constructed from live-recorded speech fragments, the piece presents a sonic testimony of public anger against systemic negligence and privatization.
In the recording, protesters’ voices resonate with unwavering conviction: “Enough with death traps in schools, transportation, and everyday life!” “All the causes of this crime are still here!” These words pierce through the air, demanding justice for crumbling public infrastructure and condemning the inhumane pursuit of profit at the expense of safety. The chilling reference to the last words of a Tempi victim "I can’t breathe", shatters any illusion of state accountability, underscoring the brutal reality of political and corporate complicity.
As the piece reaches its conclusion, the slogans begin to dissolve into an indecipherable blur. They overlap, distort, and gradually reverse, their meaning slipping away into the chaotic energy of the crowd. Though their rhythm remains, the words themselves become unintelligible, lost in the collective desperation, exhaustion, and fury of a public that refuses to be silenced.
Transition
"Transition" captures the soundscape of a port in Preveza, Greece, set against the backdrop of a permanently closed arcade club. To keep the process discreet, I placed the recorder inside an empty fast-food packaging box after finishing my meal, ensuring that passers-by would not suspect a recording was underway. Aside from the amusing interludes of pop songs that abruptly cut off, what truly inspired me to record in this specific location was the profound sense of abandonment and melancholy.
This feeling arises as cheerful sound signals are suddenly interrupted, giving way to the ambient noise of the sea, the few fishing boats, and the sparse presence of cars and pedestrians during the winter months. The arcade club is destined to remain closed due to financial difficulties. However, a few forgotten machines like punch boxing games, claw machines, rhythm arcade games, and kiddie rides, still hum faintly in the background. Their muffled sounds evoke a blurred memory of a space in transition, perhaps, waiting for the day it will once again be filled with movement and vitality.
Soundscape compositions.
Presented on board public buses in Braga, Portugal, as part of Connecting Commutes (Trajetos Comunicantes), an official project of Braga, Portuguese Capital of Culture 2025.
"Protest" and "Transition", are part of Connecting Commutes (Trajetos Comunicantes), an official project of Braga, Portuguese Capital of Culture.This ongoing sound installation takes place inside public buses in Braga, Portugal, transforming transit into a space for listening, reflection, and imagination. As you can see in the photo, specially installed speakers mounted above the seats make it possible to bring these works directly into the shared space of daily travel. The project explores themes of mobility, territory, public space, and community through sound. From now until 28 September 2025, my works will be playing on selected TUB bus lines, starting with routes 87 and 96, and moving throughout the city in the coming months. If you're in Braga, you might hear them on your ride.
Protest
"Protest" is a sound composition that captures the urgency and emotional weight of a recent demonstration held in Ioannina on January 26, 2025, in remembrance of the Tempi train crash that occurred on February 28, 2023. Constructed from live-recorded speech fragments, the piece presents a sonic testimony of public anger against systemic negligence and privatization.
In the recording, protesters’ voices resonate with unwavering conviction: “Enough with death traps in schools, transportation, and everyday life!” “All the causes of this crime are still here!” These words pierce through the air, demanding justice for crumbling public infrastructure and condemning the inhumane pursuit of profit at the expense of safety. The chilling reference to the last words of a Tempi victim "I can’t breathe", shatters any illusion of state accountability, underscoring the brutal reality of political and corporate complicity.
As the piece reaches its conclusion, the slogans begin to dissolve into an indecipherable blur. They overlap, distort, and gradually reverse, their meaning slipping away into the chaotic energy of the crowd. Though their rhythm remains, the words themselves become unintelligible, lost in the collective desperation, exhaustion, and fury of a public that refuses to be silenced.
Transition
"Transition" captures the soundscape of a port in Preveza, Greece, set against the backdrop of a permanently closed arcade club. To keep the process discreet, I placed the recorder inside an empty fast-food packaging box after finishing my meal, ensuring that passers-by would not suspect a recording was underway. Aside from the amusing interludes of pop songs that abruptly cut off, what truly inspired me to record in this specific location was the profound sense of abandonment and melancholy.
This feeling arises as cheerful sound signals are suddenly interrupted, giving way to the ambient noise of the sea, the few fishing boats, and the sparse presence of cars and pedestrians during the winter months. The arcade club is destined to remain closed due to financial difficulties. However, a few forgotten machines like punch boxing games, claw machines, rhythm arcade games, and kiddie rides, still hum faintly in the background. Their muffled sounds evoke a blurred memory of a space in transition, perhaps, waiting for the day it will once again be filled with movement and vitality.
Insight
24-28/03/2025.
Interactive tactile-sound installation.
Presented at the Zosimaia Public Central Historical Library of Ioannina.
In collaboration with the Department of Fine Arts and Sciences of Art, University of Ioannina, and the Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries, University of Thessaly.
Insight is an interactive tactile-sound installation developed as part of an English-spoken research project that merges literature, sensory technology, and design to explore accessibility and introspection in art. Combining tactile pages, Braille, soundscapes, and creative audio description, the installation offers a multisensory experience that engages both sighted participants and individuals with partial or total visual impairment.
The work invites visitors to interact with a tactile artist’s book, which contains an excerpt from William Wordsworth’s I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. Through open-source software and embedded interactive systems, each page triggers distinct sonic environments. The project treats accessibility not as an afterthought but as a core creative strategy, promoting inclusive, participatory engagement. Insight reflects on perception, sensory imagination, and the poetic relationship between sound and touch. Drawing from theoretical approaches to sensorial awareness and embodied cognition, it seeks to produce an environment where introspection becomes a path to insight; a kind of knowledge beyond rational or visual understanding.
Contributors:
Dimitris Batsis — Interactive sound system, sound design, audio introduction in Greek.
Athanasios Kokkinos — Artist book & graphic design.
Zalie Burrow — audio introduction in English, creative audio description.
Visnja Stankovic — Poem narration.
Loukia Chrysafi — Braille transcription, tactile image printing (Accessibility Unit, University of Ioannina).
Vasiliki Panourgia (Platon Bookbinding) — Technical support in artistic bookbinding.
Christos Stavrou — Accessibility content editing (University of Ioannina / Université de Bourgogne).
Photos by Athanasios Kokkinos.
Interactive tactile-sound installation.
Presented at the Zosimaia Public Central Historical Library of Ioannina.
In collaboration with the Department of Fine Arts and Sciences of Art, University of Ioannina, and the Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries, University of Thessaly.
Insight is an interactive tactile-sound installation developed as part of an English-spoken research project that merges literature, sensory technology, and design to explore accessibility and introspection in art. Combining tactile pages, Braille, soundscapes, and creative audio description, the installation offers a multisensory experience that engages both sighted participants and individuals with partial or total visual impairment.
The work invites visitors to interact with a tactile artist’s book, which contains an excerpt from William Wordsworth’s I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. Through open-source software and embedded interactive systems, each page triggers distinct sonic environments. The project treats accessibility not as an afterthought but as a core creative strategy, promoting inclusive, participatory engagement. Insight reflects on perception, sensory imagination, and the poetic relationship between sound and touch. Drawing from theoretical approaches to sensorial awareness and embodied cognition, it seeks to produce an environment where introspection becomes a path to insight; a kind of knowledge beyond rational or visual understanding.
Contributors:
Dimitris Batsis — Interactive sound system, sound design, audio introduction in Greek.
Athanasios Kokkinos — Artist book & graphic design.
Zalie Burrow — audio introduction in English, creative audio description.
Visnja Stankovic — Poem narration.
Loukia Chrysafi — Braille transcription, tactile image printing (Accessibility Unit, University of Ioannina).
Vasiliki Panourgia (Platon Bookbinding) — Technical support in artistic bookbinding.
Christos Stavrou — Accessibility content editing (University of Ioannina / Université de Bourgogne).
Photos by Athanasios Kokkinos.
Liapi
7-10/11/2024.
Soundscape composition.
Presented at the 7th Conference on Acoustic Ecology: Soundscape, Biophony and Climate Crisis.
Athens, Department of Music Studies of the University of Athens/ Ancient Epidaurus.
Liapi is a soundscape composition designed for a 5.1 surround system involving transformations of environmental sounds. The piece captures experiences from five key locations in East Zagori Liapi, emphasizing the region's biodiversity through seasonal sound recordings, which took place during springtime and during summertime. The field recordings were made along pastoral routes with the guidance of the local community, as part of awareness activities organized by environmentalist social enterprise EcoMuseum Zagori. It could be said that the composition unfolds in three movements. The first movement features the uninterrupted flow of groundwater through rocky paths and the communication between nightingales in forested areas, gradually transitioning into the second movement, where the sounds of a sudden hunt emerge as shepherd's dogs drive away a wolf. The final movement is marked by the sound of bells worn by goats returning from grazing, filling the acoustic spectrum and bringing the composition to a close.
The work engages with the study and practices of Acoustic Ecology by focusing on biophony and soundscape analysis. The piece draws from field recordings in East Zagori to document the region’s natural sound diversity in the soundscaper platform EchoLoci, while highlighting the connection between biodiversity and seasonal environmental shifts. The collected environmental sounds contribute to the exploration of bioacoustics and soundscape ecology, particularly by illustrating the dynamic interaction between natural and human-generated soundscapes. This interaction forms the compositional framework of the piece, reflecting the conference's emphasis on soundscapes as tools for understanding ecological systems. By emphasizing the acoustic signature of pastoral routes and local wildlife, Liapi illustrates how sound can raise awareness of ecological concerns and deepen the connection between people and their environment. Through the EcoMuseum Zagori’s initiatives, the work contributes to the dialogue around using sound in environmental education and community involvement, promoting sustainable practices.
The composition is particularly enhanced by its design for a 5.1 surround system, which envelops listeners in the auditory experience. This multi-channel setup enables the audience to be immersed in the sound environment, creating a heightened sense of presence. Overall, the experience relates to conference topics such as soundscape mapping and the semantics of soundscapes, placing sound as a crucial medium for both artistic expression and ecological awareness. The intention is for the listener not only to observe but also to experience the soundscapes, developing a profound and meaningful connection to the natural world.
Soundscape composition.
Presented at the 7th Conference on Acoustic Ecology: Soundscape, Biophony and Climate Crisis.
Athens, Department of Music Studies of the University of Athens/ Ancient Epidaurus.
Liapi is a soundscape composition designed for a 5.1 surround system involving transformations of environmental sounds. The piece captures experiences from five key locations in East Zagori Liapi, emphasizing the region's biodiversity through seasonal sound recordings, which took place during springtime and during summertime. The field recordings were made along pastoral routes with the guidance of the local community, as part of awareness activities organized by environmentalist social enterprise EcoMuseum Zagori. It could be said that the composition unfolds in three movements. The first movement features the uninterrupted flow of groundwater through rocky paths and the communication between nightingales in forested areas, gradually transitioning into the second movement, where the sounds of a sudden hunt emerge as shepherd's dogs drive away a wolf. The final movement is marked by the sound of bells worn by goats returning from grazing, filling the acoustic spectrum and bringing the composition to a close.
The work engages with the study and practices of Acoustic Ecology by focusing on biophony and soundscape analysis. The piece draws from field recordings in East Zagori to document the region’s natural sound diversity in the soundscaper platform EchoLoci, while highlighting the connection between biodiversity and seasonal environmental shifts. The collected environmental sounds contribute to the exploration of bioacoustics and soundscape ecology, particularly by illustrating the dynamic interaction between natural and human-generated soundscapes. This interaction forms the compositional framework of the piece, reflecting the conference's emphasis on soundscapes as tools for understanding ecological systems. By emphasizing the acoustic signature of pastoral routes and local wildlife, Liapi illustrates how sound can raise awareness of ecological concerns and deepen the connection between people and their environment. Through the EcoMuseum Zagori’s initiatives, the work contributes to the dialogue around using sound in environmental education and community involvement, promoting sustainable practices.
The composition is particularly enhanced by its design for a 5.1 surround system, which envelops listeners in the auditory experience. This multi-channel setup enables the audience to be immersed in the sound environment, creating a heightened sense of presence. Overall, the experience relates to conference topics such as soundscape mapping and the semantics of soundscapes, placing sound as a crucial medium for both artistic expression and ecological awareness. The intention is for the listener not only to observe but also to experience the soundscapes, developing a profound and meaningful connection to the natural world.
01/07/2024-30/06/2025.
Field recording, soundscapes and community engagement.
This project, undertaken in collaboration with EcoMuseum Zagori and funded by the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT), focuses on acoustic ecology to raise awareness about biodiversity and traditional livestock farming in the Zagori region. As part of the initiative, fieldwork involves capturing seasonal soundscapes at five georeferenced pastoral routes, documenting the natural environment's unique biodiversity.
Key elements include the creation of seasonal soundscape recordings that highlight the interplay between biophony, geophony, and anthropophony, showcasing the ecological richness of pastoral routes. Community engagement is a core aspect, with citizen science workshops such as BioBlitz encouraging local participation in biodiversity monitoring and sound documentation to support environmental awareness. The recorded soundscapes enrich the EchoLoci app, creating an interactive digital sound map that connects ecological and cultural heritage.
These recordings and associated workshops aim to preserve cultural practices such as transhumance, emphasizing the region’s interconnected natural and cultural heritage while inspiring sustainable practices. A blend of art, science, and community effort, the project bridges the gap between conservation and local traditions, ensuring their legacy is both celebrated and protected. The work represents a contribution to understanding how soundscapes can enable ecological and cultural preservation, making the inaudible dimensions of biodiversity accessible and immersive at the same time.
13/06/2024.
Graphic Score and Soundscape.
Participation and award for the Sound of the Year Awards: Minute of Listening, Museum of Sounds and The New BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Winning Submission.
Primary School of Volakas - Year 3 and Year 5.
The chosen community was situated around the primary school of the village of Volakas in Drama, during the morning hours before the start of the school day. The children identified various elements of their surroundings, including the sound of the river flowing, the melodic tweets of birds, the rhythmic chiming of cowbells in the adjacent fields, the robust gusts of wind, and the distinctive echoes of explosions from the nearby marble quarries, for which Volakas is renowned. These experiences formed their connection to the environment and sparked new possibilities for creative interpretation.
21/01/2024–ongoing
Online radio show broadcast bimonthly on Stegi Radio (Onassis Foundation).
From 2024 to 2025, Culture, Society, and Politics in the Digital Age featured thematic episodes combining recitation and research on topics drawn from sociology, political theory, history, and philosophy. The program was conducted by Nikos Tsinos, with thematic research and soundtrack curation (including references to sound art) by Dimitris Batsis.
From 2025 onward, the show shifted its focus toward sound art and experimental music. Under the title Oracles in Sound, each episode takes the form of a curated listening session, bringing together avant-garde compositions, archival recordings, spoken word, and sound-based works that examine the cultural and political dimensions of listening.
Photos by Katerina Tsiloni.
24/08/2023.
Composition and sound design.
The piece was played at Gallery 46 for the launch event of LIMINALITY [A FRIENDLY ABYSS] in London, a series of exhibitions and events featuring cross-disciplinary works comprising of visual-sound performance.
Chant was originally created to evoke a tense and alarming, while preserving a welcoming and mysterious mood. Halfway through, the strings emerge from the low-end frequency drones, intending to indicate an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere. One could argue that the composition exhibits a centrifugal trait as the horror-like strings repetitively sprawl out, aiming to convey a sense of peculiar and hyperreal territorial formation.