It’s Only Sound That Remains تنها صداست که می ماند

Installation view of It's Only Sound That Remains (2022) at Smack Mellon. Image courtesy of Smack Mellon. Photo by Etienne Frossard.

Aziz Hazara's exhibition It's Only Sound That Remains at Smack Mellon is a thought-provoking exploration of the role of sound in shaping and reflecting cultural experiences. In his single-channel video Takbir (2021), Hazara uses the sound of a man rhythmically beating his chest to communicate the cultural act of mourning during the Shia ritual of Ashura. This powerful work invites the viewer to consider the significance of this ritual and the ways in which sound can serve as a tool for understanding and communicating invisible cultural practices. The bare-chested young man in the video, with his gaze fixed directly on the viewer, seems to be imploring us to listen and understand the pain and grief that is being expressed through this physical and sonic act of mourning.

In Takbir (2022), Hazara expands upon this theme by examining the sonic history of the city of Kabul. This single-channel video is a dense, 10-minute montage of sounds that represent the city's tumultuous history and its current state as a metropolis. Hazara masterfully weaves together the sounds of dogs roaming the streets, aircrafts hovering overhead, and daily sermons and recitations from mosques to create a complex and immersive auditory experience. The dogs are a constant presence in the city, while the aircrafts are a newer addition, filling the soundscape with a background noise that seems to have no end in sight. This moment subtly extends the acoustic identity of the city as experienced by the local population.

Installation view of It's Only Sound That Remains (2022) at Smack Mellon. Image courtesy of Smack Mellon. Photo by Etienne Frossard.

Hazara's use of light is also noteworthy in this work, as it serves as a symbolic gesture on the fragility of the human figure, whose context is shaped by the unstable environment of Kabul. The camera moves slowly across the city, offering glimpses of the dense metropolis that it has become in recent decades. The lights dotting the screen, combined with the sounds of daily sermons and recitations, create a sense of everydayness, but also highlight the ongoing conflict and instability that has characterized the city's recent history.

Through these works, Hazara highlights the inherent potency of sound as a medium and the ways in which it can serve as both a reflection of history and an active player in its construction. He also raises important questions about which sonic experiences are valued and remembered, and how these can shape our understanding of the world around us. Overall, It's Only Sound That Remains is a thought-provoking and poignant exhibition that encourages reflection on the role of sound in shaping our experiences and perceptions of the world.

Aziz Hazara, It's Only Sound That Remains is on view at Smack Mellon from November 18, 2022 to January 8, 2023.

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