Lawrence Abu Hamdan's "Repercussions" at the Barbican Probes Aural Injustice
Lawrence Abu Hamdan's "Repercussions," which addresses aural injustice, was showcased at the Barbican in London from September 23 to 26, 2026. His video installation, "Zifzafa: Livestream Audio Essay" (2025), recreates the soundscape of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, emphasizing the acoustic effects of an Energix wind farm and documenting the sounds of Jawlani village life, which is under threat. The live performance-lecture "Air Pressure" (2022) reflects on Lebanon's unrest during 2020–21, drawing attention to the frequent presence of Israeli aircraft. Abu Hamdan mentions that Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets were funded by 20 nations, with Israel overseeing the software. Following this, Rana Eid and Matthew Herbert's "Sykes-Picot" (2026) delves into the ongoing conflicts stemming from the 1916 agreement.
Key facts
- "Lawrence Abu Hamdan: Repercussions" ran at the Barbican in London from September 23 to 26, 2026
- "Zifzafa: Livestream Audio Essay" (2025) simulates the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights and addresses a wind farm built there by Israeli company Energix
- "Air Pressure" (2022) documents Lebanon's 2020–21 unraveling and IDF aircraft violating Lebanese airspace
- Abu Hamdan states that 20 countries funded Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets and depend on the company for software and maintenance, with Israel the exception
- An estimated 140,000 residents were displaced after Israeli occupation of the Golan began in 1967
- Jawlani activists and the Israeli group Keepers of the Golan both protested the wind farm for different reasons
- Rana Eid and Matthew Herbert's commissioned performance "Sykes-Picot" (2026) references the 1916 agreement dividing the Ottoman Empire among Britain, France and Russia
- The archivist collaborating with Eid and Herbert was killed by the IDF in Lebanon in April, and the archive was destroyed
- The 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement secured oil extraction and export control for Britain and France
- The Sledmere Estate in Yorkshire was the Sykes family seat
Entities
Artists
- Lawrence Abu Hamdan
- Rana Eid
- Matthew Herbert
- Mark Sykes
- François Georges-Picot
- Chloe Chu
- Thomas Adank
- Mark Allan
- Amr Mdah
Institutions
- The Barbican
- Energix
- Israeli Defense Forces
- Lockheed Martin
- Keepers of the Golan
- ArtAsiaPacific
- Barbican Centre
- Earshot
- Munch museum
- The Common Guild
- Machine Listening
- Democracy Now!
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Golan Heights
- Syria
- Israel
- Lebanon
- Gaza Strip
- France
- Russia
- Ottoman Empire
- Yorkshire
- Sledmere Estate
- West Asia
- Amman
- Jordan
- Oslo
- Norway
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- Germany
- Honduras
- Tanzania
- Gaza
- Australia