Cornerstone Programming

Maktaba: A Speculative Thought Circle is a monthly gathering dedicated to collective reading, viewing, and discussion across disciplines. Rooted in the Arabic word for “library,” Maktaba takes the form of an open and horizontal learning environment where participants gather around a roundtable to reflect on texts and artistic practices, from exhibitions, books, film, and image to performance and sound, considering the ways they speak to one another and what we might speculate from them.

For its final iteration this season, Maktaba: A Speculative Thought Circle IV invites researcher and sonic practitioner Safeyya Alblooshi as an interlocutor to guide our conversation around sound, soundscapes, and interventions within sound cultures. Together, we will examine texts that contemplate the contemporary histories of sonic environments, practices of sonic mapping, and the ways vibrational frequencies shape our lived landscapes through anthropological, socio-cultural, and ecological frameworks.

From these readings, we will speculate collectively on the resonances of sound within our environments today, and what our future frequencies might yet unfurl into.

All texts and/or bodies of work for each Maktaba Circle are shared prior to our meeting. Participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the materials, annotate, and bring their own references and offerings to the discussion.

Accessibility & Participation

Open to ages 18+

No prior experience required.

Language: English

About the Moderator

Safeya Alblooshi is a sound artist whose practice engages with found sound through performance and installation, exploring conceptual narrative, environmental listening, and interactivity. Working primarily with her own field recordings, she often integrates them with modular synthesis. Her research focuses on the sound cultures of urban UAE, environmental soundscapes, and acoustic ecotones. Her work extends to being presented at the Expo 2020 Dubai, IRCAM Forum, London Design Biennale, Sharjah Art Foundation, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. As the founder of Resound UAE, she curated the 4th edition of ElectroFest and collaborated with Mutek.AE. She holds a BA in Music and completed her research fellowship with the Music and Sound Cultures group at NYUAD.