Lawrence Abu Hamdan: Zifzafa

Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS, London

September 23, 2026 – September 26, 2026

This free exhibition presents video works by Lawrence Abu Hamdan that address how sound can both sustain and disrupt the richness of community life. Two video installations explore the effect of a planned wind turbine development on the inhabitants of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Zifzafa: Livestream Audio Essay (2025) presents a video-game simulation designed by Earshot to fight green colonialism. Adopting a Twitch-inspired format, the work guides viewers through a virtual recreation of the region. Field recordings of the resident Jawlani community—from wedding announcements to whirring water pumps—are periodically overwhelmed by the roar of simulated wind turbines, demonstrating how their impact would effectively silence the buzz of daily life. Wind Ensemble (2024) focuses on a performance by Jawlani saxophonist Amr Mdah. Played from the balcony of a home located just 50 metres from the site of a proposed wind turbine, his music becomes an act of sonic resistance.