Sound as evidence: Abu Hamdan takes over the Barbican for four days
Lawrence Abu Hamdan takes over the Barbican Centre in London for four days of art, film, music and performance from 23 to 26 September 2026.
The takeover, titled Repercussions, is described as the first cross-arts takeover of its kind at the Barbican, according to The Art Newspaper. It puts sound at the centre of everything. Not background music. Evidence, protest and play.
Hamdan was born in Amman and is based in London. He won the Turner Prize, Britain's best-known contemporary art award, and is known for work that probes environmental and human rights abuse using sound. His pieces often start with a recording, an interview or a noise complaint, then follow where the audio leads.
In 2023 he founded Earshot, a non-profit that uses audio forensic analysis in human rights research. That means the close technical study of recordings to establish what happened, where and when. That method runs through the London programme, which the Barbican says explores sonic justice, the idea that careful listening can support fairness and accountability.
The centrepiece is Zifzafa, an exhibition by Hamdan that includes a video game about sonic disruption and resistance in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Players encounter how noise, from wind to military activity, shapes daily life in the contested territory. The show was presented at the MUNCH museum in Oslo in 2024 and now arrives in London as part of the takeover.
Film fans get a classic with a twist. The programme includes a screening of Rififi, the 1955 French crime film famous for a 30-minute burglary sequence played without dialogue or music. It is a treat for anyone who loves cinema sound by hearing its absence. There is also a practical side, with a two-day workshop in audio analysis where participants learn how to listen forensically and test recordings themselves.
Two live events close the circle. Final Repercussions is billed as the takeover's closing event, while The Crack and the Boom: Listening Session and Discussion invites audiences to listen together and then talk through what they heard, according to the Barbican. People booking two ticketed Repercussions events get 20% off, rising to 30% off for three or more, which makes sampling across artforms simpler.
What makes this stand out is the mix. A video game, a silent heist, a hands-on workshop and a group listening session do not usually share one bill. Here they do, linked by one question: what can we learn if we pay proper attention to sound?
