It's a matter of the body

Sanatorium of Sound 2025 returns to Sokołowsko (7–10 August) under the theme “It’s a matter of the body” to rethink sound as a physical and affective phenomenon. Among more than 30 invited artists are Ellen Fullman, Mariam Rezaei, the duo Jacek Sienkiewicz / Robert Piernikowski, and the Berlin-based collective Gamut Inc.

Since 2014, Sanatorium of Sound – organised by the In Situ Contemporary Art Foundation – has consistently combined a contemporary approach to music with a multifaceted reflection on its social, philosophical, and artistic dimensions. This year’s edition will be no different. The four-day programme includes concerts, performances, installations, and panel discussions, offering a broad spectrum of artistic practices: from progressive contemporary music to intersections with visual arts, movement, and text.

The 12th edition of the festival focuses on the bodily dimension of sound – not only as a spatial phenomenon but also as something that resonates within the body and emotions of the listener, opening up new perspectives on shared experience. “We want to present sound as a physical, emotional, and communal force. Vibrating air surrounds us, and our bodies become a crucial part of the experience. The space we create becomes a shared one,” says Robert Piotrowicz, artistic director of this year’s edition.

As in previous years, Sanatorium of Sound events will take place in the unique spaces of Sokołowsko – including the Kino Zdrowie cinema, the Multimedia Hall, the Zdrojowy Park, and the picturesque ruins of the 19th-century sanatorium. A new outdoor stage will also appear near the sanatorium, hosting artists such as Mariam Rezaei. These exceptional locations form the backdrop for presenting both internationally recognised figures and emerging artists from the world of experimental sound. The setting of Sokołowsko gives the festival its distinctive character, creating a one-of-a-kind space for meetings between audiences, artists, and critics. For a few days each year, this small mountain village becomes a centre of exchange, integration, and reflection.

Through concerts, workshops, panels, DJ sets, and lectures, the festival invites participants to reflect on identity – both individual and collective – and on the relationships we build with others and with the world around us.

The festival opens on Thursday, 7 August, with a large open-air concert near the iconic Andrzejówka mountain shelter, located just 3 km from Sokołowsko. “The all-night programme will begin with a premiere performance by the duo Sienkiewicz / Piernikowski. A full-scale stage will be set up on the meadow near the shelter, offering a spacious area for the audience. For the first time in festival history, we are inviting the public to join us for a night-time open-air concert,” explains festival director and In Situ Foundation president Zuzanna Fogtt.

Among the first key names announced is Ellen Fullman – an icon of the experimental scene whose Long String Instrument transforms architecture into a resonant, pulsing structure. Her performance – a blend of sculpture, composition, and physical interaction with dozens of metres of strings – will be one of the central points of this year’s programme.

Another highlight opening the festival will be the debut collaboration between Jacek Sienkiewicz and Robert Piernikowski. Sienkiewicz, a pioneering figure in Polish techno and founder of the influential Recognition label, is also an exploratory sound artist continually expanding the field of his practice. Piernikowski, meanwhile, has redefined the Polish rap scene, ultimately stepping away from his signature voice altogether. Their collaboration promises to be an exceptional meeting of sensibilities.

Also joining this year’s programme is Mariam Rezaei – a British-Iranian composer, turntablist, DJ, and improviser. Her work combines hip-hop scratching techniques and beat-juggling with sound art and complex forms of contemporary classical composition. Fuelled by freedom and rebellion, Rezaei fuses club energy with intricate electroacoustic structures. Her hyper-fast sonic surrealism makes her one of today’s most innovative voices in turntablism.

Rounding out the first group of announced performers is the retro-futuristic Berlin duo Gamut Inc, composed of graphic designer Marion Wörle and composer/guitarist Maciej Śledziecki. Together, they design and build custom computer-controlled sound machines – from robotic percussion to automated harmoniums – and program church organs. Their work transcends human physical limitations on traditional instruments, using MIDI to explore critical relationships between humans and technology.

An important element of this year's edition of the Festival will be the fifth installment of cooperation with the creators of Biuro Dźwięku Katowice – Zuzanna Waltoś and Piotr Ceglarek, who, as part of the Biuro w Sanatorium program, will once again enrich the event with profound auditory experiences, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in sound in a multi-channel dimension.

At the BDK's outdoor, multi-channel installation, Piotr Kurek, Jędrzej Siwek, and Piotr Wojtczak will perform at their special invitation.

Piotr Kurek is one of the most interesting artists on the Polish experimental scene, who will present a concert based on his material created at the turn of the 1990s and 2000s. Jędrzej Siwek, a Silesian sound artist, will perform a two-hour DJ set on two turntables, a four-track tape recorder, a mixer, and effects, smoothly developing the narrative towards sound art, ambient, classical music, drone, and lo-fi. Piotr Wojtczak will present material prepared as part of last year's 26th BDK Micro-Residency, adapted to the context and acoustics of the Spa Park.