Sonoric Reflection – Listening Through

with Aho Ssan (live) and Yasmina Haddad (DJ-Set)
Presented by the Weibel Institute for Digital Cultures as part of the exhibition ‘Thinking Through Weibel’

Sonoric Reflection is a series of experimental sound performances taking place at the AIL. This edition is presented in collaboration with the Weibel Institute for Digital Cultures and the exhibition Thinking Through Weibel, curated by Valerie Messini and Brooklyn J. Pakathi, which is currently on display at the AIL.

The series combines live electronics, improvisation, and DJ sets to create an immersive acoustic experience in the open space of the hall. The former cashier hall at the AIL functions as a central resonance space: its open architecture and material sound are acoustically engaged and integrated into the performance. Its aim is to explore the architectural and acoustic space itself as a sonically malleable instrument and to engage the audience in a dynamic sound field.

Program
19:00–20:30 Presentation of the Satellite Exhibition from Thinking Through Weibel

The satellite exhibition presents selected new media works developed in response to an open call. Each work engages with the artistic, curatorial, or theoretical practice of Peter Weibel through direct dialogue, conceptual resonance, or critical divergence. Together, these works expand the scope of the main exhibition by introducing parallel and contrasting perspectives that extend Weibel’s legacy into contemporary digital and post-digital practices.

20:30–21:30 Yasmina Haddad (DJ-Set)

21:30–22:15 Aho Ssan (LIVE)

Yasmina Haddad
Yasmina’s essayistic dj sets challenge the normativity that our ears are constantly exposed to by bringing unheard voices, sounds and songs to the surface. The sets, often circling around a single phrase or a certain moment in time, rub salt into the wounds of the undying postmodern.

With a call for active listening she spans a bridge between Lili Boulanger, Midori Takada, Maya Al Khaldi, Pamela Z, Awda Al-Mahna, Hildegard von Bingen, Jessica Ekomane, Sainkho Namtchylak, Moor Mother and many more.

Aho Ssan
Aho Ssan is the artist name of Paris based Niamké Désiré. After studying graphic design and cinema, he began to compose electronic music and create his own digital instruments. Shortly thereafter he went on to win the Foundation France television prize for his soundtrack to the film of Ingha Mago in 2015 and has worked on several projects related to IRCAM/ GRM in France. His debut LP ‘Simulacrum’ was released on the 7th of February 2020 via Subtext Recordings. Based on the concept of Jean Baudrillard, it navigates through society’s presentation of inclusivity and equality against his own experience of growing up black in France. Aho Ssan debuted ‘Simulacrum’ at Berlin Atonal 2019.

Subsequently his work has been presented in various institutions across Europe and the United States such as the Lincoln Center (New York), La Maison de la Radio (Paris), CTM (Berlin), MACBA (Barcelona), Muziekgebouw (Amsterdam) and Krakow Philharmonic (Krakow). In 2022 he released a collaborative album ‘Limen’ with the artist KMRU and is also part of the SHAPE+ artist platform. His music has been acclaimed by various media such as NPR, Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, Liberation and Les Inrockup tibles.