Roberto Cuoghi's Sonic Kolossal Šuillakku Corral at Triennale Milano

At Triennale Milano's permanent sound machine Voce, Roberto Cuoghi presents Šuillakku Corral, a reworking of his 2008 piece Šuillakku, a lament for the fall of the Assyrian Empire of Nineveh. The work, originally conceived for Castello di Rivoli, uses complex sound spatialization to create an immersive, ritualistic acoustic environment. Cuoghi discusses the piece with Carlo Antonelli, revealing it emerged from a deep dive into pre-Hellenic cultures, both real and fictional, and involved reconstructing sounds using mostly physical instruments. He draws parallels between the Assyrian Empire's imperial logic and contemporary geopolitics, noting the return of imperial dynamics and Europe's diminished role. Cuoghi describes his creative process as a 'sprofondamento' (sinking) often aided by psychopharmaceuticals, and contrasts his analog approach with today's AI, which he believes would struggle with the piece's ancient, non-Western musical scales. The work is part of the 'Sonda' cycle curated by Carlo Antonelli and Damiano Gullì, which will later feature sonic works by Arto Lindsay and Liliana Moro. The installation runs until January 25, 2025.