Image: Barbican Centre, London
'Sykes-Picot & Air Pressure' is scheduled for Friday 25 September 2026 at 19:30 as part of Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s 'Repercussions'. The event brings together two performances that use audio evidence to confront the violence of borders in the Middle East.
'Sykes-Picot' is a newly commissioned performance by composer Matthew Herbert and sound designer and documentary maker Rana Eid. The performance reflects on the legacy of a clandestine agreement made over 100 years ago by British and French diplomats Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot to define their respective spheres of influence in the Middle East.
'Air Pressure' draws on research into Lebanon’s aerial soundscape conducted between May 2020 and May 2021.
Delivered chronologically as a diary with live audio processing, the performance analyses the relationship between background noise and atmospheres of violence. Abu Hamdan performs 'Air Pressure' with live sound design by Moe Choucair. Together, the two performances use audio evidence in addressing violence at the borders of the Middle East, while drawing on distinct material: the legacy of the Sykes-Picot agreement and documented sounds from Lebanon’s aerial soundscape.
Lawrence Abu Hamdan: 'Repercussions' is a takeover exploring sonic justice, running from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September 2026.
