Ben Denham

Sovereign Air

Ben will perform with a custom synthesizer system that allows him to sense and sonify changes in barometric pressure. He will discuss the practice of atmospheric listening and its place in the broader artistic investigation of the atmosphere that informs his forthcoming work Sovereign Air.

Thursday April 16, 2026, 5:30 for 6pm

Black Box Multichannel AV Space
Room 12.02.103
RMIT City Campus, Naarm/Melbourne

Ben Denham is an artist living and working on Gadigal, Kamaygal, Wangal, and Bidgigal land. He builds instruments and machines as part of a transmedia practice that includes the weather, drawing, electronics, kinetic sculpture, text, video and sound. He creates installations and systems that are transductions, reflections, and abstractions of more complex phenomena that exist in the world. He develops and works with synthesizer modules that incorporate air pressure and electromagnetic sensing to shape sound and control movement. He calls this mode of practice expanded synthesis and argues that it can help us understand the broader cultural significance of the synthesizer and its relationship to art, politics, science, and philosophy.

Ben’s work has been selected by his peers several times for funding through Creative Australia grant programs. Exhibition highlights include Primavera 2014, curated by Mikala Dwyer at the MCA, the Cementa 2022 festival, and Topographies (2024), curated by Vicky Browne at SCA Gallery.

Entry near the RMIT tram stop on the eastern side of Swanston st, at Little Bang Cafe’s location – enter through the glass doors on street level near the ‘Building 10’ sign and head straight down the half set of stairs, the Black Box is straight ahead

Elevator available nearby the cafe entrance for those with accessibility requirements

Listening Practice is a monthly gathering of listeners open to all, where sonic research and practice is shared in a dedicated listening environment, with informal discussion encouraged afterward.

Organised by the DSP research group

Free by RSVP with attendees added to the DSP mailing list