When Sound Art, Gastronomy & Ecosystems Meet: A Lecture and Listening Session by Maribel Tafur
On March 13, 2025, ESPRONCEDA Institute of Art & Culture presented When Sound Art, Gastronomy & Ecosystems Meet, an immersive session led by Peruvian composer and sound artist Maribel Tafur. This event invited participants to explore the intersection of sound art, gastronomy, and ecosystems, examining how these fields interconnect in Tafur’s artistic practice.
Through a hybrid experience that combined sound works with insights into her creative process, Tafur demonstrated how sound can be used as a medium to evoke landscapes, identity, traditions, and the human relationship with nature. Her work is materialized in discographic compositions and award-winning multisensory experiences.
Exploring Tafur’s Projects
Throughout the session, Tafur presented a selection of her most innovative projects, each offering a unique perspective on the relationship between sound, ecology, and gastronomy:
EGUZKIA-INTI:
This project, developed in collaboration with Slow Food Bilbao-Bizkaia, explores the deep-rooted connections between Basque and Peruvian culinary traditions through sound. Eguzkia (Sun, in Basque) and Inti (Sun, in Quechua) represent the shared solar energy that nourishes ecosystems in both regions. The project combines field recordings from traditional food production sites—such as cheese-making farms in the Basque mountains and cacao plantations in Peru—with experimental sound compositions. The result is a sonic map that highlights the cultural and environmental parallels between these distant yet connected territories.
MATER SOUNDSCAPES OF PERU:
This album, created in partnership with acclaimed Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez and his Mater Iniciativa research center, is an auditory journey through Peru’s diverse landscapes. Each track corresponds to a specific ecosystem, from the Amazon rainforest to the Andean highlands and the Pacific coast. By capturing the natural soundscapes of each region—flowing rivers, whispering winds, and the calls of native birds—Tafur constructs an immersive listening experience that reflects the biodiversity and culinary richness of Peru. This project was also developed alongside the restaurant Central, named the world’s best restaurant in 2023, emphasizing the connection between local ecosystems and high-end gastronomy.
SONIC TASTING:
In this ongoing project, Tafur investigates how auditory stimuli influence our perception of taste. Through live performances and interactive installations, she pairs specific frequencies, rhythms, and timbres with different food textures and flavors, creating unique sensory experiences. For example, low-frequency drones may enhance the depth of umami flavors, while high-pitched sounds can make citrus notes feel more vibrant. Sonic Tasting invites audiences to rethink the way they experience food, turning meals into multisensory performances where sound plays a central role.
AUDIO-TERRITORIES:
A long-term initiative dedicated to recording and preserving the soundscapes of endangered ecosystems. Through collaborations with scientists, conservationists, and local communities, Audio-Territories builds an evolving database of natural sounds that serve both as artistic material and as an archive for future generations. The project raises awareness about climate change and biodiversity loss by emphasizing the fragility of these sonic environments.
About the Artist: Maribel Tafur
Maribel Tafur is a composer, producer, sound designer and entrepreneur, founder of Intune, a company based in Peru specializing in music experience design, and her own creative studio in Barcelona. With 14 years of experience, she combines her passion for sound art and music design with a master’s degree in music therapy and advanced training in audio recording and post-production. Throughout her career, she has worked on multisensory projects ranging from gastronomy and hospitality to installations and video mapping, collaborating with renowned brands and institutions. Included in Forbes’ 2022 list of Peru’s 50 Most Creative, her current focus as a musical experience designer is on creating global sound solutions that blend art and technology, connecting with companies, space designers, chefs and creative agencies.
Website: www.maribeltafur.com
Portfolio: www.maribeltafurstudio.com
