Personal Information
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Given name: Samo









Surname: Zeichen









Email: samo.zeichen@gmail.com









I understand that by submitting this form, I consent to the use of my data for the purposes of the 2026 Forum on Artistic Research'.: Yes









I agree to the terms of service.: Yes













Your contribution
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Title: Veliko nas je bilo / We were many – Articulating Disappearance: Slovene Voices from the Archive









Format: Experimental format (4)









Main language: English









Abstract:
How can the slow disappearance of an ethnic group be articulated? How does the loss of linguistic identity manifest itself, and what political circumstances lead to this?		
The project Veliko nas je bilo / We were many – Articulating Disappearance: Slovene Voices from the Archive, critically examines sound recordings of Carinthian Slovenes from the 1960s and 1970s which are stored in the Phonogrammarchiv (Austrian Academy of Sciences – ÖAW) in Vienna. Although these recordings were originally intended for dialectological and linguistic research, this project explores whether their entry into the archive coincided with the group's gradual disappearance in the outside world. The sound recordings tell stories of belonging, temporality, and materiality, and even after digitisation, these sonic memories remain witnesses to the time when they were captured. This project is an invitation to understand language and identity as something ghostly that is inherent in all social relations and can dis-appear or re-appear at any time. The metaphor of the ghost is applied to further investigate the invisible fabrics of social relations in Koroška (Carinthia) and beyond. Through attentive listening, the recordings re-surface as carriers of meaning, and the artistic work derived from them re-connects them with the outside world. Reflecting the recordings in the context of critical archival studies can offer new perspectives on how such research projects served the interests of those in power by extracting materials and resources from elsewhere. This work is an appeal against forgetting and disappearance.
The performance lecture/workshop/listening session collage re-circulates voices from the archive and brings them back to the here and now - into the centre of perception. The sound pieces re-connect the voices with the broader public – telling stories of the past, present, and uncertain futures. In English and Slovene. Dedicated to the liberation of those about to disappear. 	










Image: https://www.sar2026.ie/system/files/webform/submit_contribution/411/1%28c%29%20Milos%CC%8C%20Vuc%CC%8Cic%CC%81evic%CC%81.jpg









Short biographies of the presenter(s):
- Samos main interests and approaches circle around political notions of public space and the democratization of it. In his artistic research projects and practices he uses the idea of Noise to interfere with existing systems, offering new subversive forms and collaborative measures of togetherness. Lately focusing on critical (decolonial) archival studies and genealogies of sounds and voices of affected communities. Samo just recently finished his studies of Cross Disciplinary Strategies (MA Programme) at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Together with Paula Bracker, they developed the artistic research project Apophenia (musique plastique).










Previous presentations or iterations of the research:
Veliko nas je bilo was Samos' master thesis project (artistic and scientific work) at the University of Applied Arts Vienna at the the department of Cross Disciplinary Strategies. A similar workshop was shown in a small gallery space in Vienna on January 16th 2026 as part of the exhibition Closer Still by Pakathi Brooklyn J. Yet the setting will be totally developed anew for the Endangered Conceptual Worlds conference 2026. 














Requirements
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Additional information:
As all of Samo's projects are connected to practices that constitute knowledge-in-the-making at the time and place of presentation, each workshop and performance is unique.











Spatial and technical requirements :
Small version (must have):
A pair of working studio monitors (like yamaha, genelec, neumann, or similar)
A mixing console where i can plug my laptop
A audio cable small stereo jack to rca (goes from the laptop  into the mixing console)
A microphone for presentation 
All necessary power cables 
Participants should be able to sit comfortably, maybe the setup can be changed to a more loosely arrangement of chairs
Extended version (only if possible):
A Tape Machine (Revox A77) 










Potential risks or ethical concerns:
{Empty}










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