Tong Niu Verified listing

My practice begins with listening—to what trembles beneath language, haunts the edges of memory, or refuses to be named. I work with sound as both a material and a method: to trace the phantom, to give form to silence, and to reveal the emotional residues of erased histories. Through immersive installations, performances, and sonic storytelling, I explore how voices—especially those of women and spectral figures—can return as quiet acts of resistance.

Rooted in feminist theory, spectral ethnography, and cybernetic-psychedelic aesthetics, my work moves across physical and emotional landscapes, seeking to re-tune the listener’s perception. I believe sound holds a unique power to connect the invisible: between bodies and environments, between time and trauma. In my practice, softness is not weakness—it is a disruptive force. Through silence, echo, and breath, I aim to create spaces where the unheard can re-emerge, not as ghosts, but as new presences.

My work is inspired by the invisible architectures of sound, memory, and emotion. I explore themes such as ghostliness, dissociation, feminine resilience, and the spectral traces left in digital and physical spaces. Drawing from myth, forgotten cosmologies, and ancient texts, I build immersive environments where lost voices—especially those of women—can re-enter the world softly yet defiantly. I’m particularly drawn to the poetic friction between silence and noise, presence and absence, technological systems and human vulnerability. Influenced by feminist theory, Daoist metaphysics, and cybernetic feedback, I use sound as a portal to examine how we listen to the unspeakable, how trauma circulates, and how new forms of connection and healing might emerge through sensory experience.

• Recipient of multiple international design and art awards, including the Red Dot Award (2022), Bronze Prize at INNODESIGN PRIZE (France, 2023), and finalist in the Kantar “Information is Beautiful” Awards (2022).
• Exhibited immersive sound installations and performances at key London venues including Hundred Years Gallery, IKLECTIK Art Lab, and Battersea Hangar Space.
• Research-based practice rooted in feminist theory, spectral ethnography, and cybernetic-psychedelic aesthetics; MRes in Art & Communication Design at the Royal College of Art.
• Known for translating erased or marginalised narratives—especially those of women and spectral figures—into polyphonic, sensorial experiences.
• Participated in international festivals, including Changwon National University Art Festival (Korea, 2022), with work exploring post-truth phenomena through digital media.
• Cross-disciplinary background in design, digital media, and sound art, blending conceptual storytelling with technological innovation.