Tarek Atoui's Waters' Witness at MCA Australia

Tarek Atoui's exhibition 'Waters' Witness' at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia marks the Lebanese artist and composer's first significant showcase in Australia. This display merges aspects from a ten-year endeavor that captures the sounds of harbor cities such as Athens, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Beirut, Porto, Istanbul, and Sydney. It includes a dynamic installation, live performances, publications, and a sound archive. Collaborating with musicians, instrument makers, audio technicians, and individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing, Atoui employs various methods to record sounds from underwater and through materials like metal, stone, and wood. For this exhibition, he crafted new sculptures from Sydney sandstone, featuring a sound system inspired by the cohabitation zones along Sydney's coastlines, observed in March 2023. Curated by Anna Davis, this exhibition is part of the Macgregor Gallery series. A publication designed by Goda Budvytytė, featuring a photo essay by Alexandre Guirkinger, a foreword by MCA Director Suzanne Cotter, and an interview with Davis, will be released in late 2023. Additionally, live performances and educational workshops are scheduled.