Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers

Published in conjunction with the artist’s 2022 Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize exhibitions at The Contemporary Austin and The FLAG Art Foundation, Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers documents his recent sound-based installations rooted in the idea that sound requires transmission through physical materials and in relation to perceiving bodies. He asks questions such as: What happens to sound as it travels through materials like metal, wood, and water? How can we perceive sound by listening not only with our ears but also with our whole bodies? Atoui’s research and compositional process is highly collaborative and generates networks of community involvement. He works with other musicians, composers, and instrument makers around the world to develop custom materials he calls “tools for listening,” which conduct and amplify sounds in multisensory ways. In tandem with this process, he invites participation from people where his projects are located, involving musicians and non-musicians alike in creative explorations. In addition to installation documentation, Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers includes interviews with Atoui, texts by the artist, and essays by the curators.

Tarek Atoui (b. 1980) is an artist and composer living in Paris, France. His work challenges traditional ways of perceiving sound and focuses on the medium’s ability to act as a catalyst for human interaction, while exploring its relation to current social, historical, and political realities. Atoui’s work often revolves around large-scale, collaborative performances that stem from extensive research into music history and anthropology. He engineers complex and inventive instruments, arranges and curates concerts, performances, listening rooms, and workshops.