Brandon LaBelle

Brandon LaBelle holds the position of Lecturer at the Central Institute for Continuing Education and Transfer within Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin). An active artist, writer, and theorist based in Berlin, LaBelle's career is marked by a series of collaborative and extra-institutional initiatives that challenge conventional academic and artistic boundaries. His work engages deeply with questions of agency, community formation, pirate culture, and poetic practices, resulting in projects such as The Listening Biennial and Academy (2021-present), Communities in Movement (2019-present), and the long-running Dirty Ear Forum (2013-present).

LaBelle's research interests center on Sound Art and Acoustic Studies, with a strong emphasis on the social and political dimensions of listening. He investigates how sound and listening practices can foster community, challenge power structures, and imagine alternative social arrangements. His work extends into Poetics, Community Art, Artistic Research, and Contemporary Political Thought, often through the lens of spatial practices and everyday acoustic environments. These interests manifest in both theoretical publications and practical artistic interventions that blur the lines between theory and practice.

Analysis of LaBelle's recent publications reveals a trajectory moving from foundational work in acoustic territories and background noise towards a more explicitly justice-oriented framework. His 2021 book Acoustic Justice represents a culmination of this path, arguing for sound as a critical site for addressing social inequality. Across his oeuvre, recurring themes include the materiality of sound, the politics of listening, and the potential for sonic practices to enact social change, often drawing on interdisciplinary approaches that merge philosophy, geography, and cultural studies.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided text.

As the founder of Errant Bodies Press in 1995, LaBelle has significantly contributed to the field of sound art through independent publishing, supporting works in sound studies, performance, and contemporary thought. He is also a member of Errant Sound, Berlin, an artist-run space. While the text does not detail formal academic advising or grant funding, his numerous collaborative projects—including the Living School and Oficina de Autonomia—suggest an ongoing commitment to mentoring emerging artists and fostering community-based learning outside traditional academic structures.