The public program of Tradu/izioni d’Eurasia Reloaded

For the reload of the exhibition Tradu/izioni d’Eurasia, MAO is offering a multifaceted public program. This includes not only a new edition of Evolving Soundscapes, the music program curated by Chiara Lee and freddie Murphy, but also talks, screenings, and a day-long study on The Book of Kings by Iranian poet Ferdowsi. These sessions delve into the voices and stories of the diaspora, providing insights and opportunities for discussion on topics such as freedom of expression, the meaning of democracy, and the symbolism of colors, trying to imagine an aesthetic that leads to new social meanings

 

 

EVOLVING SOUNDSCAPES

 

Thursday, April 11th – 7:30 PM - YOUMNA SABA
Oud soundscapes and sonic properties of sung Arabic phonemes

Youmna Saba is a musician, composer and musicologist. Her current research deals with the relationship between electroacoustic music and the Arabic language in its sung form. These explorations manifest themselves in various projects, ranging from musical composition for her solo project, collaborations, and film music to electroacoustic experiments on new devices designed for voice and her instrument, the oud. With five albums to this date (latest being Wishah, out on Touch 2023), she has collaborated with musicians of different musical expressions such as Kamilya Jubran, Floy Krouchi, Mike Cooper and the Neue Vocalsolisten, and has taken part in numerous artist residencies. She is the laureate of the first sound residency at Quai Branly Museum, Paris (2022-2023) with her project “La Réserve des Non- Dits”, and a laureate of the music residency program at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (2020-2021).
Free admission.

 

Wednesday, May 29th – 6:30 PM - SABINE SALAMÉ
Hip Hop migration narrative

In the dynamic landscape of Arabic Hip Hop, a unique voice has emerged that's breaking down the genre and stripping it to its core. Sabine Salamé, a Lebanese rapper and poet, embodies this essence with her latest work ‘Taffe Daw…’ alongside Lebanese producer Jawad Nawfal (Munma). Comprising ten heartfelt tracks, the album takes listeners on a ride through Sabine’s emotional stages of immigration. In its blend of musical styles and honest storytelling, Salamé creates something that goes beyond just a collection of songs; it's a reflection of Salamé's own experiences as she transforms the complex emotions of migration into a musical narrative.
Using the power of her vulnerability to tackle political and personal issues from an unconventional perspective Sabine hopes to build a real historical documentation for the future and make everyone going through similar turmoil feel less alone.
Tickets: 15 € full – 10 € reduced for student. Tickets available at the museum ticket office or on our website.

 

Sunday, June 23rd – from 3 to 6 PM - EVOLVING SOUNDSCAPES FILM CLUB
A collection of films from the SWANA region

Les Chenilles (30’), Michelle & Noel Keserwany - LEBANON - Berlinale 2023 Golden Bear for Best Short Film
Postcolonial feminist short, blending life, history, and current affairs.

Life on the caps - Trilogy (75’), Meriem Bennani - MOROCCO
Timely political commentary on immigration, geopolitics, diasporic identity, resilience, biotechnology, data, state control and privacy.

Our songs were ready for all wars to come (22’), Noor Abed - PALESTINE
Folklore as a common emancipatory tool for people to overturn dominant discourses, reclaim their history and land, and rewrite reality as they know it.

The Battle of Empty Stomachs (23’), Diana Al-Halabi - LEBANON
A poetic and musical tribute to those who suffered the aftermath of famine and migration, and to Palestinian hunger strikers whose resistance outlives the deafening silence of the colonial world.

 

The selected works delve into a reflection on the SWANA region, with music serving as the common thread to a plurality of representations and approaches.
The screening will be followed by a talk featuring Noor Abed, Palestinian artist and author of 'Our songs were ready for all wars to come’, Diana Al-Halabi, Lebanese artist and directos, author of ‘The battle of Empty Stomachs’, and Mattia Capelletti, independent curator and PhD researcher in Cultural Studies at the University of Palermo, with a focus on the aesthetics, politics, and technologies of the voice.
Free admission.

 

Sunday, September 1st – 6:30 PM - LEILA BENCHARNIA
Decolonization of listening

Leila Bencharnia is a sound artist, acousmatic performer and musician born in Morocco and based in Milan/Berlin. Child of a traditional Moroccan musician, their dialogue with sound began in the village near the Atlas Mountains where they spent their childhood. Bencharnia’s sound work comprises analog materials, including tapes, vinyl and synthesizers. Acknowledging radical listening as a means of transmitting knowledge, their practice aims to actively contribute to the decolonization of listening as a method for addressing social and political complexities.
Currently, Bencharnia’s research is centered on the language of indigenous Tamazight textiles, the mathematics of African fractals, and their interrelation with sound.
Tickets: 15 € full – 10 € reduced for student. Tickets available at the museum ticket office or on our website.

 

 

TALKS AND SYMPOSIUM

Saturday, May 11th - 4 PM
The Shadow Cone: Where Democracy Ends and Censorship Begins
A discussion within the framework of the EXPOSED festival
A conversation between Shahidul Alam, Yasmine Eid-Sabbagh, Zeina Arida, and Davide Quadrio on the themes of freedom and censorship in the artistic realm and the rapidly changing meaning of the democracy=liberty equation.
Free admission.

 

Tuesday, June 4th - 6 PM
Being Orlando in Iran
A conversation between Shadi Harouni and Mohammad Salemy.
Free admission.

 

Wednesday, June 19th from 10 AM to 1 PM
Translating Imagery from Shiraz to Florence: The Visual Art of the Book of Kings at MAO
Curated by Veronica Prestini.
Study day: speakers include Veronica Prestini, Francesca Gallori, Michele Bernardini, Nicoletta Fazio, Francis Richard, Giancarlo Porciatti.
Free admission.

 

Thursday, July 4th - 6:30 PM
Other Colors
Curated by Hannah Jacobi.
Screening of films with contributions from Afghan and Iranian artist collectives and organizations.
Conceptualization and introduction by Hannah Jacobi.
Free admission.