Tarek Atoui’s (b. 1980, Beirut) work inhabits the intersection of visual and sound arts. Known for his sonic installations and performances, Atoui privileges a sensory approach along with an investigative process that embraces history, anthropology, ethnology and musicology. He considers sound to be a catalyst for human interaction leading him to collaborate with other musicians, as well as researchers and musical instrument makers.
The exhibition Waters’ Witness, presented in Mudam Grand Hall and the Park Dräi Eechelen, is based on the ongoing project I/E Atoui initiated in 2015. Drawing upon research made in collaboration with the musicians and composers Chris Watson and Eric La Casa, Atoui uses sound recordings to document the human, ecological, historical and industrial realities of coastal cities that have a past rooted in their docklands, such as Athens, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Beirut and Porto. Working in close proximity to or under the water, Atoui uses various recording techniques to capture the sounds of the sea and docks, and materials such as metal, stone and wood.
Biography: Tarek Atoui (b. 1980, Beirut) has held solo exhibitions at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto (2022 and 2018); The Contemporary Austin (2022); Fridericianum, Kassel (2020); NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, Singapore (2018); Mirrored Gardens, Guangzhou (2017); Tate Modern, London (2016); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2015) and Serpentine Gallery, London (2012). His work has been presented within significant group surveys including the 13th Gwangju Biennial (2021); Printemps de septembre, Toulouse (2018); the 58th Venice Biennale (2017); the 11th and 9th Sharjah Biennials (2013, 2009); and dOCUMENTA 13, Kassel (2012). Atoui has been awarded with the 2022 Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize. He lives and works in Paris.
Curators: Joel Valabrega, Sarah Beaumont
