16 April 2024
Maya al-Khaldi and Sarouna
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Maya al-Khaldi, (born 1989, Jerusalem, Palestine), innovative singer-songwriter, whose work traverses realms of music and composition. Weaving Palestinian traditional music with contemporary Western influences, she crafts soundscapes that bridge sonic pasts and futurities. Her album Other World serves as a testament to this synthesis, incorporating elements from the Ramallah-based Popular Art Centre’s traditional music archives to engender a visionary auditory experience.
Sarouna, (born 1995, Jerusalem, Palestine), Palestinian qanun player, audio engineer, producer, and DJ known for her innovative blend of traditional and electronic music. Founder of Tawleef, a pioneering women-led record label and artist space in Palestine, she has established herself as a promising figure in contemporary Palestinian music, challenging conventional male-dominated music landscapes. Her partnership with Maya al-Khaldi in Other World, showcased in When Solidarity Is Not a Metaphor, resonates with the exhibition’s defiance of patriarchal agenda and backing for acts of with-ness. Sarouna is committed to exploring memory and identity through her all-female music projects, featuring local and diasporic Palestinian female voices.
In When Solidarity Is Not a Metaphor, al-Khaldi’s collaboration with Sarouna in the premier performance of their album Other World incarnates the exhibition’s emphasis on the state of with-ness through a feminist prism that resonates beyond the immediate context of conflict.
Find out more details about When Solidarity Is Not a Metaphor
Full list of artists here
Full programme here
Curatorial statement here