tarek atoui
1980, Beirut, Lebanon
Tarek Atoui is an artist and composer working within the realm of sound performance and composition. 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. Atoui is also represented by Chantal Crousel in France and Vitamin Creative Space in China.
Tarek Atoui currently lives and works in Paris.
the reverse sessions, 2014
set of eight original instruments combining string, wind and percussion, exhibited at kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014
the reverse sessions, 2014
performance at kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014
the reverse sessions, 2014
documentation of the performance at kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014
the reverse sessions, the pipe koto 1, 2014
piano and cello strings are mounted on a plexiglass frame in a way inspired by the japanese koto instrument
5 church organ pipes are also mounted into the frame, they receive compressed air to produce crystalline sounds
the pipe koto has an intricate system of microphones mounted into it, these pick up the sound of the strings and the pipes to merge them and create a unique palette of timbers and sounds
instrumet made by vincent martial à san jose, 2014
the reverse sessions. litophone, 2014
percussion set including 31 stones with wooden supports, bones, mallets and sticks
variable dimensions
instrument made by serge durin in clermont-ferrand, 2014
the reverse sessions, the orgue à clapets, 2014
a wind, string and percussion instrument all at once, the orgue à clapets produces sound by sending compressed air through a multitude of small elastic tubes that oscillate at high speeds
128 x 107 x 64 cm
instrument made by thierry madiot in paris, 2014
installation view of the reverse collection 2014 -2016 at the tanks, tate modern, london, 2016
the reverse collection, 2014-2016
documentation of the performance at the tanks, tate modern, london, 2016
the reverse collection, 2014-2016
documentation of the performance at the tanks, tate modern, london, 2016
the reverse collection, the hybrid violin, 2014
an augmented version of the medieval hurdy-gurdy
continuous sound is produced by a wheel that excites strings of different diameters and materials
the hybrid violin also has a digital extension called the trublion - a module that allows any exterior sound source to impact the speed and rhythm of the motor activating the strings
instrument made by leo maurel in strasbourg, france, 2014
the reverse collection, the aquaflute, 2014 - 2016
instrument made out of plastic, glass and pistons
8 flutes are mounted on a recipient filled with water and fixed to a rotative tripod
the aquaflute can be blown into, or played automatically with compressed air
instrument made by thierry madiot in paris, france, august 2014 & march 2016
the whisperers, 2021-2022
series of listening devices composed of plastic, wood, brass, water, bronze, glass and stone
inspired by experiments pursued with a kindergarten class on the acoustics and vibratory frequency of objects, water, wind, voices, and rotational movements
the whisperers, 2021-2022
installation view, austin contemporary, austin, texas, 2022
the whisperers, 2021-2022
installation view, austin contemporary, austin, texas, 2022
the whisperers: infinite ballet solo, 2021-2022
wood, transducer, amplifier, mixer, oxidized cymbal, 3 meter brass rod, sound proofed wooden box, 20 meter brass chain, rotating motor, wooden support, headphones, genelec speaker 361 x 48 x 396 cm
the whisperers: whisper pulse, 2021-2022
stone, water, microphone stand with heavy foot, dropper, pump, sub-ink, subwoofer, bronze cymbal
the whisperers: platinum record player, 2021-2022
piano string, cymbal, sound proof wooden box, mixer, amplifier, transducer, stands, clamps, motor, stone polishing tool, headphones 130 x 51 x 102 cm
the organ within, 2019
hybrid sculptural object made by léo maurel and vincent martial
kurimanzutto, new york, 2019
the organ within, 2019
installation view, kurimanzutto, new york, 2019
the organ within, 2019
installation view, kurimanzutto, new york, 2019
the organ within, 2019
performance, solomon r. guggenheim, new york, june 27, 2019
the organ within, 2019
performance, solomon r. guggenheim, new york, june 27, 2019
souffle continu, 2022
collaborative performance, st. rupert’s church, vienna, 2022
souffle continu, 2022
performance at st. rupert’s church, vienna, 2022
souffle continu, 2022
performance at st. rupert’s church, vienna, 2022
souffle continu, 2022
performance at st. rupert’s church, vienna, 2022
souffle continu, 2022
performance in musikverein, glass hall, vienna, 2022
Tarek Atoui has become known through individual exhibitions such as: Tarek Atoui. Al Tāriq. Un viaje a las tradiciones musicales rurales del norte de África y del mundo árabe, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain (2025); Tarek Atoui, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2024); the Shore / a place I’d like to be, Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art-Ghent (SMAK), Belgium (2024); The Rain, Mirrored Garden, Guangzhou, China (2024); Standing Waves, Cukrarna gallery, Ljubjlana, Slovenia (2024); The Drift, Institut d’art contemporain (IAC), Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes, France (2023); Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers, Jones Center, The Contemporary Austin, TX; The FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2022); Waters’ Witness, Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany; Serralves Foundation, Porto, Portugal; The Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg (MUDAM) (2022); The Whisperers, Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris (2021); Cycles in 11, Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates (2020); Organ Within, kurimanzutto, New York (2019); Resonance: Sound Art, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MN (2019); and many others.
Atoui has presented his work internationally at: Dissolving your ear plugs, Musée d'art contemporain de Joliette, Canada (2023); Primary Forms, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland (2022); Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Darmstadt, Germany (2021); Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany (2020); Resonance: A Sound Art Marathon, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2019); Inner Ear Vision: Sound as Medium, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska (2019); Infinite Ear, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (2018); L'emprise des sens, Le Printemps de Septembre, Quai des arts, Cugnaux, France (2018); Soil and Stones, Souls and Songs, Para Site, Hong Kong (2017); GLOBALE: New Sensorium, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany (2016); Art or Sound, Fondazione Prada, Ca' Corner della Regina, Venice (2014); Festival Santiago A Mil, Santiago de Chile (2013); Performa 11, New York (2011); New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (2010); the Haus Der Kunst, Munich (2010), among others.
The artist has participated in diverse Biennales and Triennales such as: Sonic Acts Biennale, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2024); 14th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2023); 17th Istanbul Biennale, Turkey (2022); Struer Tracks sound art biennale, Struer, Danmark (2021); 22nd Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2020); 58th Venice Biennale (2019); Marrakech Biennale 2016, Palais El Bahia, Morocco (2016); 8th Berlin Biennial (2014); Within, Sharjah Biennial 11 , United Arab Emirates (2013); Intense Proximité: Triennale d'art contemporain, Paris (2012); dOCUMENTA 13, Kassel, Germany (2012); SeMA Biennale Mediacity Seoul, South Korea (2011); the Sharjah Biennial 9 and 11, United Arab Emirates (2009 and 2013, respectively), among others.
serralves museum presents tarek atoui's waters' witness
Read the full review on Tarek Atoui's artistic practice by Nadine Khalil for Ocula Magazine.
The Fridericianum presents Waters’ Witness, the first solo exhibition in Germany of the work of Tarek Atoui.
The Contemporary Austin in Texas has announced Tarek Atoui as the latest recipient for its biannual prize: the 2022 Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize.
Okayama Art Summit is an international exhibition of contemporary art that offers visitors the opportunity not only to see exciting exhibits but also to experience the thought processes of the artists.
