Disquiet

The cacophony rises quickly, from street noise (dogs panting, carts wheeled by) to a spiraling flurry of vocal exhortations, circling like some messianic ritual on overdrive. This is not a religious tradition, however. It is a sound installation, titled Šuillakku and created by Italian artist Roberto Cuoghi. Šuillakku, informed by Cuoghi’s historical and metaphysical research into the ancient origins of the Middle East, is on display from October 14 through November 23 of this year at the London museum ICA, which has admirably included a two-and-a-half-minute excerpt of the installation’s sonic element as a downloadable file on its promotional webpage (MP3). More details and information at ica.org.uk/cuoghi. According to the ICA site, the exhibit’s curator is Marcella Beccaria, and it originated at the Castello di Rivoli, Museum of Contemporary Art, Rivoli-Turin.

By Marc Weidenbaum