Hearing Beyond What You Hear: A Conversation with Joe Namy

In February of this year, Ibraaz opened the Musalla, a space dedicated to spiritual practice as both lived experience and creative expression. Joe Namy’s sound installation Cosmic Breath inaugurated the space. Originally commissioned for the 2023 Islamic Art Biennale in Jeddah by its artistic director and Ibraaz’s Resident Architect, Sumayya Vally, Cosmic Breath brings together recordings of the adhan (the Islamic call to prayer) from across different geographies and generations, which are played through horn speakers – the same speakers that are typically used by mosques to broadcast the call.

In this podcast, Namy and Sarah Hamed discuss the genesis and production of the work, as well as the significance of bringing the work to London during a time of rising Islamophobia. Namy also reflects on his broader interest in sound as a social, political, and affective force that can move people and bring communities together in different ways, as well as the power of sound systems to amplify marginalised voices.