Originating from a solo performance involving screams under intense throat pressure, Whispered Screaming: Micro Resistance, Silenced Pain on Their Bodies explores paradoxical vocal expressions—whispering and screaming—as alternative forms of resistance for women and minorities. Tomojo Hojo’s project examines the physical and emotional intersections of these expressions, asking: What do emotions like fear and anger do to the body and voice? Historically, screaming has surfaced across contexts in resistance, from noise music and feminist punk to the works of Yoko Ono, serving as an outcry against authority or prejudice. Here, the project centers on the screams of marginalized groups, focusing on the subtleties of vocal texture rather than symbolism.

Particular emphasis is placed on the “whispered” scream, a quiet yet tense form of vocalization marked by compression and pain. This project questions the impact of such restrained expressions within the broader context of resistance. Drawing from trauma studies, affect theory, healing therapies, feminism, iconology, psychology, and performance studies, it aims to explore the theoretical and historical relevance of the whisper during thius residency. This includes an examination of the “destructive face” in screaming through Butoh dance traditions and involves dialogues with local dancers and choreographers.

Ultimately, Whispered Screaming redefines whispered screams as a form of collective healing via experimental sound and vocal practices. Inspired by Pauline Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations, the project seeks to reveal unseen connections between women, history, voice, and emotion and questions how silenced pain, bodily sensations, and voiceless sounds can be documented and tangibly shared.

Tomoko Hojo (JP) is an artist working at the intersection of sound, music, and performance. In recent years, Hojo has focused on amplifying silenced (women’s) voices throughout history, particularly Japanese women with connections to the West, such as Yoko Ono and Sadayakko Kawakami. Her work has been exhibited and performed internationally, including at Tate Modern (London), Issue Project Room (NYC), ZKM (Karlsruhe), Emily Harvey Foundation (NYC), Contemporary Art Center Aomori (Japan), SA))_gallery (Moscow), Scandinavia House (NYC), Kunstquartier Bethanien (Berlin), TOKAS Hongo (Tokyo), IKLECTIK (London), and mh PROJECT (NYC/Japan). In 2023, she published Unfinished Descriptions, an exhibition catalog documenting her research on Yoko Ono’s 1966 show in London, through yoin press.