Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers

Atoui’s recent collective sonic adventures explore the physical transmission of sound and its reception in the human body

Published for the 2022 Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize exhibitions at the Contemporary Austin and the FLAG Art Foundation, Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers documents the Paris-based artist/composer’s recent sound-based installations rooted in the idea that sound requires transmission through physical materials and in relation to perceiving bodies. Atoui (born 1980) asks questions such as: What happens to sound as it travels through materials like metal, wood and water? How can we perceive sound by listening not only with our ears but also with our whole bodies? Atoui works with other musicians, composers and instrument makers around the world to develop custom materials he calls "tools for listening," which conduct and amplify sounds in multisensory ways. He also invites participation from people where his projects are located, involving musicians and nonmusicians alike. In addition to installation documentation, Tarek Atoui: The Whisperers includes interviews with Atoui, texts by the artist and essays by the curators.