Dr. Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Soundscape Art


Schafer’s article speaks about soundscapes as a combination of acoustics, both natural and artificial, which create an immersive environment and experience for the listener (Schafer, 97). He writes: “a soundscape consists of events heard, not objects seen” (Schafer, 99). A world renowned, contemporary artist who uses soundscape in his creations is Dr. Lawrence Abu Hamdan, born in Amman, Jordan, currently based in Beirut, Lebanon. Hamdan’s work focuses on ‘the politics of listening’ by using audio-visual effects to spark meaningful discussion and action around human rights and law. He connects his sound art to practical and legal usage by emphasizing that “ear-witness testimony” can often be more effective and accurate in guiding a witness to their memory of an event as opposed to eyewitness testimony. In fact, Dr. Hamdan produced an “acoustic investigation” with Amnesty International and Forensic Architecture to examine leaked audio files from a government-controlled prison in Syria where 13,000 people had allegedly been executed since 2011. He has received numerous accolades for his legal work with sound investigation in relation to the Syrian Civil War and other human rights crises. Hamdan’s work challenges the image-centred paradigm by offering a different set of methodologies in which one considers sound as a prioritized tool in providing detailed context to crimes that take place around the world. An example of how Dr. Hamdan uses soundscape through his artwork in his recent showcase at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, called: “This whole time there were no landmines.” The piece is an eight-monitor installation with sound, that uses collected cell-phone-video footage from 2011, to document the ‘shouting valley’ that lies in the contested area of the Golan Heights; Syrian land annexed by Israel following a ceasefire in 1967. The divide was named “shouting valley” because the area’s topography (natural geographic composition) allows for an acoustic leak across the border where separated families would shout across to each other to remain in contact. Please click the link, and click “video” to hear and see his installation.

A photo of Dr. Hamdan's installation: "This whole time there were no landmines."
Dr. Hamdan’s work is an excellent example of using soundscape to provoke both critical thought, and practical political and legal action through sound leaks. I find it fascinating that he prioritizes sound as a contemporary art medium rather than traditional visual-centered art; I encourage you to see his other sound art installations as well!

Discussion:

Do you know of an artist that uses sound as their primary artistic medium? What do you think the viewer gains through an audio sensory, soundscape experience? Do you find this to be a more immersive art medium compared to visual?

Sources:
  • https://universes.art/en/venice-biennale/2019/tour-arsenale-2/lawrence-abu-hamdan
  • https://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/lawrence-abu-hamdan/
  • Image source: https://theseenjournal.org/sonics-of-separation-lawrence-abu-hamdan-jameel-arts-center/

Comments

  1. DarcyOctober 8, 2021 at 5:30 PM

    Hey Alanna!
    I really enjoyed your presentation on this the other day - super intriguing. This will be an awful comparison, but I was reminded of the Brooklynn Nine Nine episode where Jake gets all the suspects to sing I Want It That Way and it was through the singing that the witness recognized the voice of the man who murdered her brother (ear-witness testimony?).

    I'm thinking about this art installation as exemplifying the public/private divide of sound. Bull, in "The Audio-Visual iPod" , was talking about how the iPod has created a personal, ani-social, individualized sound space. On a daily basis, I think any sound that is really important to us becomes so privatized - music mostly and the feelings it invokes perhaps? This art piece, in complete contrast, shows how public sound can be. Like you said, multiple families are shouting over this valley to try and be in contact with one another. However, I guess on the flip side, it still seems quite private because we can't necessarily make out what anyone is saying. It raises some good questions about the politics of sound for sure, and I think that that may not have been his exact goal but definitely an important point to consider.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anthony SorrentinoOctober 9, 2021 at 4:40 PM

    Hi Alanna,

    I think that Dr. Hamdan’s artistic work, more specifically the link to art exhibition you included in your blog post to be very interesting. The idea of an artist who puts many sounds into a form art is fascinating, as prior to taking this class I never would have consider sound to be art. In terms of what I believe viewers gain from this experience, I would have to say that it’s an experience unlike any other that generates a sense of anticipation.

    I actually felt the same kind of anticipation similar to the video we watched in class a few weeks back of the artist who sat in front of his piano in silence. I would argue that whether sounds are heard or not, the visual anticipation is what pulls the audience into the work itself. As Dr. Hamdan’s work doesn’t necessarily have words but “Shouting” and those kinds of sounds are still able to bring out an “out of body sensation” which Hosokawa mentions in the article “The Walkman Effect”. Thus, I do believe that sound can create a more immersive art medium compared to a visual form of art. This is because it allows our body to not just see but emotional feel the art, allowing our body and or our minds to experience more than what the eye can see.

    Kind Regards,
    Anthony

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