Lawrence Abu Hamdan Zifzafa - A live audio essay

Zifzafa is an Arabic word for a wind that rattles and shakes everything in its path. It is also the title of a new performance by artist and researcher Lawrence Abu Hamdan, in which sound composition, video game engines, and spoken word converge.

The performance takes place in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, a region with a unique microclimate where 30 large wind turbines cause not only ecological damage but also social displacement due to their constant noise. Zifzafa explores how communities that have lived around wind and landscape for thousands of years are now confronted with new forms of extraction and control.

The music, composed and performed by Busher Kanj Abu Saleh alongside saxophonist Amr Mdah, uses sound as a byproduct of wind energy and as a means of resistance. As a performance, digital instrument, and multi-channel video installation, Zifzafa advocates for the sonic self-determination of the Golan Heights’ inhabitants.

Tickets: € 10 - € 25