At-Tāriq: Tarek Atoui’s Sonic Tribute to Tradition and Innovation
Tarek Atoui’s latest exhibition, At-Tāriq, commissioned by TBA21, is a culmination of years of research and collaboration. The exhibition is not just a showcase of artistic ingenuity—it’s a deeply personal journey through the rich cultural and musical legacies of the Arab world and the Amazigh people.
Atoui, a Franco-Lebanese artist and composer (b.1980), is known for his boundary-pushing approach to sound. His practice involves more than simply creating music—it’s about fostering human interaction through sound. “Sound has the power to reveal stories and connect people across time and space,” Atoui explains. “It’s not just about what you hear—it’s about what you feel and how it brings people together.”
Atoui’s fascination with the trance-inducing music form tarab began early in his career with Revisiting Tarab (2010–2013), an exploration of classical Arab music’s Renaissance period. This early work, developed in collaboration with the AMAR Foundation in Lebanon, laid the foundation for At-Tāriq, where Atoui continues to explore the emotional, cultural, and communal power of sound. The name At-Tāriq, meaning “the morning star” or “the nightcomer,” reflects the exhibition’s themes of journey, tradition, and discovery. Drawing from his residency in Córdoba in 2023, Atoui collaborated with experimental musicians Ziúr (Berlin), Susie Ibarra (New York/Berlin), and Nancy Mounir (Cairo) to create a sonic composition that seamlessly blends traditional Amazigh and Arab music with contemporary improvisation and electronic experimentation.
Reflecting on his creative process, Atoui shares: “This project is as much about listening as it is about creating. I spent hours immersed in the archives—concert recordings, poems, and songs of the Amazigh people—absorbing their history and emotion. It was essential to respect these traditions while also pushing their boundaries in collaboration with other artists.” In addition to sound, At-Tāriq features textiles, pottery, and sonic sculptures crafted by Moroccan artisans. These objects are not mere decorative pieces—they are integral to Atoui’s exploration of the materiality of sound. “Every material has its own voice,” Atoui says. “Stone, bronze, ceramic—they all respond differently to vibration, and that creates new sonic possibilities.”
Education and social connection have always been at the core of Atoui’s artistic philosophy. After studying electroacoustic music at the French National Conservatory of Reims, Atoui realized he wanted to make the knowledge he had gained more accessible to others. “At a certain point as an artist, you come to realize you don’t just want to create work for exhibitions. You want to bring education into this constellation—what I can teach and, more importantly, what I can learn.”
In conjunction with ARCOmadrid, Atoui will host a live performance featuring traditional musicians from the Atlas Mountains alongside his residency collaborators. This concert will offer audiences a rare opportunity to experience firsthand the fusion of past and present, tradition and innovation.
For Atoui, At-Tāriq is not just a celebration of sound—it’s a celebration of relationships, memory, and identity. “Music and sound are living entities,” he reflects. “They evolve through every conversation, every collaboration, and every act of listening.” At-Tāriq is more than an exhibition—it’s an invitation to listen, connect, and reflect on the cultural legacies that continue to shape our world.
Cover: Tarek Atoui at his studio in Paris, November, 2024. © Alexandre Guirkinger
