Smack Mellon will present Aziz Hazara’s first major solo exhibition in NYC, It’s Only Sound That Remains, curated by Muheb Esmat. Bringing together two large-scale video installations by the artist, the exhibition explores sound as a powerful repository for memory, recognition, and a source of critical reflection in contemporary Afghanistan. Through two distinct acoustic experiences: a mourning ritual in Takbir (2021), and Kabul’s soundscape during the most recent regime change in Takbir (2022), Hazara’s works highlight the sonic performativity of power and politics in the everyday.
Image: Aziz Hazara, It’s Only Sound That Remains (installation view), 2022. Image courtesy of Smack Mellon. Photo: Etienne Frossard.