ear-whispered: works by Tania El Khoury

Bryn Mawr College showcased the immersive work of Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury. A self-described “live artist,” El Khoury creates interactive installations and performances that address issues of displacement, political oppression, and justice. The centerpiece of the project was Gardens Speak, an interactive sound installation that relates the oral histories of 10 activists killed in the Syrian uprisings. The work is presented in two dimly lit spaces: an antechamber where participants are given instructions for viewing the piece, and an installation space where the narratives unfold in a “graveyard,” consisting of four tons of earth in a rectangular frame. Gardens Speak was shown at Bryn Mawr for two weeks concurrently with an exhibition centered on letters written in response to the installation; Camp Pause, El Khoury’s most recent video work; and As Far as My Fingertips Take Me, a 10-minute performance by a Syrian refugee offered for one audience member at a time. As Far as My Fingertips Take Me was also presented at FringeArts, along with Stories of Refuge—El Khoury’s video installation that viewers experience while resting on cots as if in a refugee camp.

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