Discover Tarek Atoui's 'At-Tāriq': An Exploration of Sound Art and Arab Musical Heritage

This exhibition by artist and composer Tarek Atoui presents 'At-Tāriq,' a project exploring the rural musical traditions of the Arab world along Saharan trade and pilgrimage routes. It focuses on the concept of 'majlis,' a traditional space of hospitality, and delves into the musical heritage of the Amazigh people of North Africa.

The exhibition 'At-Tāriq' by Lebanese artist and composer Tarek Atoui, presented in collaboration with TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, centers on the traditional Arab and North African concept of the 'majlis' – a space for hospitality and conviviality. The exhibition's title, 'At-Tāriq,' translates to 'the one who comes from the night' or 'the morning star,' and is part of Atoui's long-term research into the rural musical traditions of the Arab world along Saharan pilgrimage and trade routes. This initial chapter of the project focuses on the Tamazgha region, encompassing North Africa and its Amazigh (Berber) inhabitants, who are a rich source of musical, artistic, and intellectual traditions. After two years of engagement with musicians and artisans from the Moroccan Atlas region and surrounding areas, Atoui has created a 'poetic hospitality' space. This sonic installation invites visitors to experience the thresholds between the traditional and contemporary, the familiar and the unknown, highlighting nomadic inclinations and fostering diverse affinities and experiences through interwoven textures and materials, with music itself becoming an act of hospitality.

General museum admission is free. Specific ticket information for the exhibition is not detailed on this page, but visitors are directed to the museum's general admission policies. Information on associated activities and guided tours is provided separately.