TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE
Johann Diedrick
Johann Diedrick. Courtesy of Recurse Center.
Johann Diedrick and Jeff Economy perform. Photographed by Alon Koppel Photography. (Aug 06, 2022)
Kamikaze Jones, Tom Miller, Paula Matthusen, Craig Chin, and Johann Diedrick perform. Photographed by Alon Koppel Photography. (Aug 06, 2022)
Tom Miller, Kamikaze Jones, Johann Diedrick, Jen Kutler, Patrick Quinn, Nathan McLaughlin, Damian Catera, Nick D'Amore, Lysa Opfer, John Lutz, and Al Margolis perform. Photographed by Alon Koppel Photography. (Aug 06, 2022)
Johann Diedrick Portrait. Courtesy the artist. (Mar 30, 2022)
Johann Diedrick is a New York-based artist, engineer, and musician who creates immersive installations, performances, and DIY instruments that invite audiences to explore the world through sound. His work peels back sonic layers to uncover hidden memories and untold stories, reveals vibratory histories of past interactions inscribed in materials and spaces. His practice is deeply rooted in sharing knowledge, as he offers listening tours, workshops, and open-source tools, enabling others to engage with and understand his techniques.
Recent radio art work includes 2024’s "[the hurricanes in your mouth]," developed during his Performance AIRspace Residency at Abrons Arts Center, which pulls from Caribbean cosmology, pirate radio, and sound system culture, and 2020’s “Prelude to Wake,” broadcast by Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Art Center from Tortoise Town in Brooklyn, NY. In “Prelude to Wake,” originally conceived as a live performance but shifted online due to the pandemic, Diedrick performs as “The Sound Collector,” rearranging live music performance and field recordings while collaborating with generative audio to compose a soundworld that invites listeners to contemplate the role of sound and memory in the midst of upheaval.
Diedrick is the founder of A Quiet Life, a studio dedicated to sonic engineering and research. The studio designs and builds audio-related software and hardware products that uncover new sonic possibilities, often focusing on off-the-grid solutions. He serves as the Director of Engineering at Somewhere Good, was a 2022 Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellow at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, a 2021 Mozilla Creative Media Award recipient, and a 2020 Pioneer Works Technology resident. He is a member of NEW INC and an adjunct professor at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.
Diedrick's work has been presented internationally at MoMA PS1, Ars Electronica, Somerset House, and multiple New Interfaces for Musical Expression conferences. He is a frequent collaborator with Wave Farm, including the Glass Salt project—an experimental sound duo with Caylie Staples—featured as Wave Farm’s 2022 artists-in-residence.