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.
tarek atoui
untitled, 2022
stone, bronze cymbal, water spinner, electrical relay, pump, hydrophone, piezo, mixer, audio amplifier, underwater speaker, bronze bowl, audio transducer, mp3, wooden box
55.9 x 96.5 x 96.5 cm (22 x 38 x 38 in.)
tarek atoui
the whisperers: glass dome, 2021-2022
glass dome, water, bronze bowl with mounted transducer, handmade bubble systems, water pumps, air pumps, soundproof, wooden box, stones, marble stone, mixer, 3 meter brass rod,pipes, headphones, speaker, mac mini, relay cards
116.8 x 106.7 x 365.8 cm (46 x 42 x 144 in.)
tarek atoui
the whisperers: platinum record player, 2021-2022
piano string, sound proof wooden box, mixer, amplifier, transducer, stands, clamps, motor, stone polishing tool, headphones
129.5 x 50.8 x 101.6 cm (51 x 20 x 40 in.)
tarek atoui
pulses in 13, 2020
composition for sub ink, turntable study, cymbals, gong, water drops and computer generated sounds
variable dimensions
tarek atoui
whispered pulses #2, the whisperers, 2022
1 x sub Ink, 2 x black pumps, 1 x small bronze cymbal, 1 x cymbal, 1 x glass bulb, 1 x long mic stand round base
variable dimensions
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. the motorized bow, 2014
metal, leather, electronic components
8 x 32 x 13 cm (3.15 x 12.6 x 5.12 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions babasse, 2014
wood, metal, strings, electronic components
90 x 50 x 24 cm (35.43 x 19.69 x 9.45 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. aquaflute, 2014
acrylic, glass, metal, plastic, compressed air
120 x 85 x 38 cm (47.24 x 33.46 x 14.96 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. l'orgue à clapets, 2014
wood, metal tubes, strings, compressed air
128 x 107 x 64 cm (50.39 x 42.13 x 25.2 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. horns of putin, 2014
wood, plastic strips, metal, compressed air
130 x 960 x 500 cm (51.18 x 377.95 x 196.85 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. the church organ koto, 2014
acrylic structure, organ pipes, strings, ducts
150 x 30 x 110 cm (59.06 x 11.81 x 43.31 in.)
tarek atoui
the reverse sessions. three long horns, 2014
3 wooden horns coated with kraft paper, rubber balloons, compressed air
variable dimensions
installation view of tarek atoui: souffle continu, sunflowers, irish museum of modern art (imma), dublin, 2026. photo: ros kavanagh
installation view of tarek atoui: souffle continu, sunflowers, irish museum of modern art (imma), dublin, 2026. photo: ros kavanagh
installation view of tarek atoui: souffle continu, sunflowers, irish museum of modern art (imma), dublin, 2026. photo: ros kavanagh
installation view of tarek atoui: the water song, desert x alula 2026, alula, 2026. photo: lance gerber
installation view of tarek atoui: the water song, desert x alula 2026, alula, 2026. photo: lance gerber
installation view of tarek atoui: the water song, desert x alula 2026, alula, 2026. photo: lance gerber
installation view of tarek atoui: phonolites, alwarsha, alula, 2026. photo: nick jackson
installation view of tarek atoui: phonolites, alwarsha, alula, 2026. photo: nick jackson
installation view of tarek atoui: phonolites, alwarsha, alula, 2026. photo: nick jackson
installation view of tarek atoui: improvisation in 10 days, pirelli hangarbicocca, milan, 2025. photo: rasa juskeviciute
installation view of tarek atoui: improvisation in 10 days, pirelli hangarbicocca, milan, 2025. photo: rasa juskeviciute
installation view of tarek atoui: improvisation in 10 days, pirelli hangarbicocca, milan, 2025. photo: rasa juskeviciute
installation view of tarek atoui: at-tāriq, museo thyssen bornemisza, madrid, 2025. photo: lourdes cabrera
installation view of tarek atoui: at-tāriq, museo thyssen bornemisza, madrid, 2025. photo: lourdes cabrera
installation view of tarek atoui: at-tāriq, museo thyssen bornemisza, madrid, 2025. photo: lourdes cabrera
installation view of tarek atoui: the rain, art sonje center, seoul, 2024.
installation view of tarek atoui: the rain, art sonje center, seoul, 2024.
installation view of tarek atoui: the rain, art sonje center, seoul, 2024.
installation view of tarek atoui: the whisperers, the contemporary austin, texas, 2022. image courtesy the contemporary austin. photo: colin doyle
installation view of tarek atoui: the whisperers, the contemporary austin, texas, 2022. image courtesy the contemporary austin. photo: colin doyle
installation view of tarek atoui: the whisperers, the contemporary austin, texas, 2022. image courtesy the contemporary austin. photo: colin doyle
installation view of tarek atoui: organ within, kurimanzutto, new york, 2019.
installation view of tarek atoui: organ within, kurimanzutto, new york, 2019.
installation view of tarek atoui: organ within, kurimanzutto, new york, 2019.
installation view of tarek atoui in may you live in interesting times, 58th venice biennale, 2019. photo: andrea avezzù
installation view of tarek atoui in may you live in interesting times, 58th venice biennale, 2019. photo: andrea avezzù
installation view of tarek atoui in may you live in interesting times, 58th venice biennale, 2019. photo: andrea avezzù
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse collection, tate modern, london, 2016. courtesy of the artist and tate modern. photo: thierry bal
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse collection, tate modern, london, 2016. courtesy of the artist and tate modern. photo: thierry bal
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse collection, tate modern, london, 2016. courtesy of the artist and tate modern. photo: thierry bal
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse sessions, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014.
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse sessions, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014.
installation view of tarek atoui: the reverse sessions, kurimanzutto, mexico city, 2014.
Tarek Atoui has become known through individual exhibitions such as: Souffle Continu and Sunflowers, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Dublin, Ireland (2026); The Whispering House (Bayt Al Hams), commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla, Bayt Al Hams, AlUla, Saudi Arabia (2025); 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 Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (S.M.A.K.), Ghent, Belgium (2024); The Rain, Mirrored Garden, Guangzhou, China (2024); Standing Waves, Cukrarna Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2024); The Drift, Institut d’art contemporain (IAC), Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes, France (2023); Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers, The Jones Center, The Contemporary Austin, Texas; traveled to The FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2022); Waters’ Witness, Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany; traveled to Serralves Foundation – Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, Portugal; and Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean (2022); Cycles in 11, Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates (2020); Organ Within, kurimanzutto, New York (2019); Resonance: Sound Art, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2019); among others.
Atoui has presented his work internationally at: Afrosonica – Soundscapes, Museum of Ethnography (MEG), Geneva, Switzerland (2025); For Children. Art Stories since 1968, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (2025); Dissolving your ear plugs, Musée d'art contemporain de Joliette, Quebec, Canada (2023); Primary Forms, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland (2022); Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Darmstadt, Germany (2021); 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); among others.
The artist has participated in diverse Biennales and Triennales such as: Sonic Acts Biennale, Amsterdam (2024); 14th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2023); 17th Istanbul Biennale (2022); Struer Tracks sound art biennale, 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 (2011); Performa 11, New York (2011); the Sharjah Biennial 9 and 11, United Arab Emirates (2009 and 2013), 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.
