About
Victoria Estok is a conceptual artist based in New York with a background in sound art and environmental conservation. Before pursuing sound, she was an environmental worker in both urban and back-country settings. During this time that she became aware of a deep seated need to uncover the intentions behind everyday actions.
Two questions at the heart of her explorations and attraction to audio art: How does what we hear change our perception of what is possible and can what we hear change reality?
We are greatly influenced by what we consciously and unconsciously hear. People are more influenced by their audible environments than they realize. Estok uses audio to direct and manipulate attention of listeners, subtly challenging their perceptions and preconceptions. Her work alternates between taking a playful look at what we consider to be reality and then sometimes a more poetic approach, lingering on sounds and words, in order to capture the listener and have them examine what they are paying attention to. She makes work that highlights listening as a practice, drawing attention to our perceptions, and exposing emotional undercurrents.
Estok favors community work and public interventions because these situations underscore and align with her value for genuine interaction. That said, she has shared her work at various types of institutions including but not limited to: Transmediale, Eyebeam, The Whitney Museum, MEGAPOLIS, Monkeytown, NAISA Trans X Transmission Art Symposium, New England Conservatory, Steamer Lilac Pier 40 Hudson River, WGXC, WPBR, etc., She teaches in the New Media program at SUNY Purchase.