How do we perceive sound if we listen not only with our ears, but with our whole body? And what happens to sound when it moves through materials such as bronze, stone or water? Paris-based artist and composer Tarek Atoui creates exceptional electro-acoustic instruments and sculptural listening environments. For him, this is a way to bring people together and allow different identities and social realities to be expressed.
For the GfZK’s Neubau, Atoui creates an expanded play and educational space derived from his series The Whisperers and its methodology, which emerged from workshop sessions that took place in a kindergarten in Paris. In Leipzig, visitors can explore various instruments and interactive soundscapes through objects and protocols provided by the artist, or listen to Leipzig musicians and artists improvising and experimenting with these elements. (upcoming dates)
Atoui’s understanding of sound has been shaped by many years of working with children, composers, craftspeople, musicians and deaf people. His artistic practice is rooted in the art of the 1960s, when artists shifted their focus towards the activation of audiences. Musically, he has been particularly influenced by the possibilities of electronic composition and improvised music.
In collaboration with the Fröbel kindergartens in Leipzig, the Johann Sebastian Bach Music School, the Albert Schweitzer School and the Samuel Heinicke School, the GfZK mediation team develops a programme of inclusive educational activities accompanying the exhibition.
