Sound Body (interactive talk, process sharing)
Sound Body (interactive talk, process sharing)
Kim Baraka
Sound Body is a multimedia performance project based on the speculative concept
of “sono-archeology”, an exploration of the body as a sound archive. What happens
when we unearth the sounds that live in us? What possibilities for action emerge
when we voice the sounds rooted within?
Working with remembered and collected sounds on the spectrum of soothing to
traumatizing, the artist explores our relationship to sound as a gateway to our
identities and lived experiences. Based on an archive of sounds ranging from the
2020 Beirut blast, the sound of Israeli drones constantly occupying the Lebanese
airspace, and gibberish poems composed by loved ones, “Sound Body” is a live
excavation of buried sounds experienced from afar through looped voice
compositions and movement. The performance invites us to reflect on our individual
and collective paths in relation to heritage, belonging, and memory.
In this showing, the artist will share their process of working on this piece in the form
of an interactive talk, inviting the audience to engage with the work conceptually,
physically, and sensorially.
About the artist:
Kim Baraka is a Lebanese-born dance artist and scientist based in Amsterdam. His
artistic practice centers improvisation as a non-verbal language to connect to the
current circumstance. He has recently been interested in exploring the frontier
between dance and voice composition. Previously, he was a member of the Beirut
Dance Company (Lebanon) and the Pillow Projects Company (Pittsburgh, USA). As
a freelancer, he collaborated with artists and researchers in dance, theater, fashion
design, photography, film, and philosophy. In 2024, he starred in short film Cobalt,
which was awarded Best European Experimental Short and shown in several cultural
and academic venues. He is also the founder of Impromptu Amsterdam, a platform
dedicated to sharing cross-disciplinary improvisational knowledge to and from the
community (www.kimbaraka.com/impromptu).
“Sound Body” is made possible thanks to the support of Amsterdams Fonds voor de
Kunst and Ettijahat Independent Culture and rehearsal and development space from
Triplets and 4Bid Gallery.
“Sound Body” will premiere Nov 18 and 19 at Plein Theater in Amsterdam
(tickets can be purchased at this link).
