Between water and stone—computational sonic analysis of anthropogenic transformations: the case of the Grabiglioni in Matera

This project investigates a historical water channel, Grabiglione Barisano in Matera, as both an infrastructural artefact and an aural site of memory. Once central to the hydraulic system of the city, the channel now lies invisible beneath the urban surface, yet continues to shape the cultural imagination of the Sassi. This research combines hydromorphological data, GIS analysis, and inter active sound technologies to reframe the Grabiglione as a living archive of ecological processes and human interventions. At its methodological core lies the use of sonification, which renders hidden transformations of the urban environment perceptible through sound. Parameters derived from hy drological modelling, such as the lowest stream points, the collector intake elevation, and runoff thresholds, are translated into sonic features via a Max MSP patch that triggers AI-generated samples produced through img-to-audio algorithms trained on both historical and contemporary images of the site. The resulting system produces sound events that reflect both the historical function and the con temporary disappearance of the Grabiglione, enabling experiences that are simultaneously analytical and affective. This process is executed through site-specific installations, soundwalks, and listening sessions with local communities. These participatory practices create opportunities for reflection on ecological fragility, cultural memory, and the politics of water management. Expected outcomes in clude the development of immersive installations, new insights into listening as a spatial analysis tool, and the construction of an “emotional cartography” that links sound, space, and memory. Ulti mately, this work positions sonification not only as an artistic medium but also as a critical research method capable of bridging technical analysis and embodied knowledge within the discourse on “New Ecologies.”