Lawrence Abu Hamdan
A Convention of Tiny Movements—EUROSPAR Sackstraße (2020)
A Convention of Tiny Movements—SPAR Central Train Station (2020)
Installation
Not only the walls have ears. Even the packaging in the supermarket might be listening to you as you shop. Find out what that might sound like at the Spar branches at Kastner & Öhler and Graz Central Train Station.

24.9.–18.10

Eurospar Filiale in Kastner & Öhler
Sackstraße 7–13, 8010 Graz  ♿

Spar Supermarkt Graz Filiale Graz Central Train Station
Europaplatz 6, 8010 Graz

Credits

Commissioned by steirischer herbst ’20

Produced by Lawrence Abu Hamdan in coproduction with steirischer herbst ’20

With the friendly support of SPAR Österreich

Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s installation tells of a not-too-distant future in which everyday objects and surfaces can be used to watch over the population. The necessary technologies already exist. As a group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered some years ago, video recordings or laser technology can be deployed to measure the vibrations of objects generated by the human voice. These can then be converted into new sounds. In Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s supermarket installation, for example, potato chip bags, KitKat wrappers, handkerchiefs, water glasses, and even flower petals can be heard as they listen, each contributing their own unique sound. It is within the anti-utopia of surveillance that the objects develop their own, non-human subjectivity, as the artist demonstrates with this frightening scenario.

Bio

Lawrence Abu Hamdan (1985, Amman, Jordan) is an artist and “private ear” whose projects have taken the form of audiovisual installations, performances, graphic works, photography, essays, and lectures. Abu Hamdan’s interest with sound and its intersection with politics originates from his background in DIY music. He lives in Dubai.

Credits

Commissioned by steirischer herbst ’20

Produced by Lawrence Abu Hamdan in coproduction with steirischer herbst ’20

With the friendly support of SPAR Österreich

Related