34Jan. 28, 2026
Tate Modern, London, on January 27 revealed that it has awarded Lebanese French artist and composerTarek Atouithe eleventh annualTurbine Hall commission. Atoui, who lives and works in Paris anddescribes his work as “oneiric,”is known for performances and installations challenging traditional perceptions of sound. Key to his practice is the invention and collaborative construction of intricately engineered instruments that double as sculptural objects. Atoui’s commission will open on October 13 of this year and will remain on view through April 11, 2027.
“Tarek Atoui has captivated audiences internationally with his boundary-pushing approach to sound,” said Tate Modern interim director Catherine Wood in a statement. “Blending music, technology, sculpture, and performance, he is a truly cross-disciplinary artist whose work references current social, historical, and political realities. Architectural space plays an important role in Atoui’s ongoing investigation into sound and vibration, and we can’t wait to see how he engages with audiences within the public space of Tate Modern’s iconic Turbine Hall.”
Born in Beirut in 1980, Atoui draws on his extensive research into music history, instrumentation, and production to create multisensory environments that reimagine our relationship to sound. He investigates how “listening” can be experienced through multiple senses, including tactile and visual forms of perception. Central to these installations are his instruments, which are activated by touch, breath, and motors; enlisting the help of composers, makers, and other artists in the construction of these objects, he incorporates organic materials such as glass, water, and ceramics. Atoui combines the music they generate with environmental recordings from various geographical locations and computer-generated sounds in the context of both collaborative and solo performances. He has been the subject of solo exhibtions at institutions including Pirelli Hangar Bicocca, Milan (2025); TBA 21, Madrid (2025); Kunsthaus Bregenz (2024); and MUDAM, Luxembourg (2022). Atoui participated in the Seventeenth Istanbul Biennial (2022); the Thirteenth Gwangju Biennial (2021); the Fifty-Eighth Venice Biennale (2019); and Documenta 13, Kassel (2012).