Lebanese Artist Tarek Atoui: Hearing the World Differently

Tarek Atoui, a Lebanese artist, transforms everyday environmental sounds into immersive art. He believes cities can be understood and even played through their unique sonic signatures. Atoui's artistic approach involves listening to the world and coaxing melodies from it, moving beyond the traditional music industry.

His past exhibitions have resembled experimental studios filled with self-made instruments. These installations invited sensory exploration, allowing sound to be felt and experienced physically. Atoui aims to create 'places for listening and playing,' making his work accessible beyond conventional concert halls.

Atoui's journey includes studying experimental music in France and drawing inspiration from artists like John Cage. He has collaborated with diverse groups, from Lebanese children using PlayStation joysticks to develop sound software, to deaf students in Sharjah. These encounters taught him that hearing is multifaceted, extending beyond auditory perception.

His art highlights how different sonic worlds coexist, influenced by physical bodies, emotions, and attention. Similar to artists who use sounds to reveal hidden stories, Atoui records ambient noise from harbor cities, finding historical echoes in underwater explosions and ship movements.

Atoui's exhibitions serve multiple functions, showcasing his handmade instruments as sculptures. During improvisation sessions, they become educational spaces. He emphasizes that hearing is interconnected with sight and feeling, making the audience a crucial collaborator in his work.

Visitors are encouraged to explore freely within his sound installations, with the artist providing a space and tools for discovery rather than a predetermined experience. Atoui hopes his Turbine Hall installation will encourage people to actively engage and 'play in their own lives.'