Sound installations
To offer visitors a fully immersive, first-hand experience, these mediation devices were developed to engage visitors with music and poetry in the context of Sufi arts and culture. Each installation creates a unique opportunity to experience Sufi melodies, rhythms, and spiritual expressions, enhancing the overall connection to the museum’s works.
These immersive sound journeys have been crafted by a dedicated team of experts, bringing together traditional and contemporary sound design elements to create a meaningful sensory experience.
- Omid Asgari et Dr. Payam Yousefi, Sound and music experts;
- Audiovisual mediation design;
- Kerwin Rolland, Sound Designer;
- Technical Consultant: Technical Consultant;
- Videlio, Sound installation
Made possible with the generous support of American Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture and Knowledge™ (AFSACK®)
Sound Installation #1: Level 1 – Introduction to Musée d’Art et de Culture Soufis MTO
Performers:
- Setār, Arjang Seyfizadeh
- Harp, MTO Zendeh Delan Ensemble®
In this first of three musical experiences spread over the three floors of the exhibition route, Sufi-inspired melodies guide the visitors to an affective listening experience rooted in the museum’s works.
The setār, a type of long-necked lute, and the harp together produce melodies that foster a meditative and introspective space. The setār is specially designed with a rounded body that resembles the shape of domes—a typical and prominent feature found in Islamic architecture and on the top floor of the museum. Domes enhance acoustics for better sound amplification, symbolize the vault of heaven, and represent the unity of God, reflecting spiritual and celestial significance. The setār’s dome-like resonance embodies this celestial symbolism. The intricate melodic patterns played on the setār are reminiscent of the detailed calligraphy used to record Sufi teachings for many centuries. Alongside the setār, the harp’s association with divine inspiration in various Abrahamic religions adds to the spiritual ambience of the music.
Sound Installation #2: Level 2 – Self-knowledge and creativity
Performers:
- Daf and piano, MTO Zendeh Delan Ensemble®
- Kamāncheh, Payam Yousefi
- Kavāl, Isabelle Courroy
- Ney, Javid Ardani
- Tanbur, Arash Moradi
- Tār, and oud, Arjang Seyfizadeh
Seven musical modes from the Islamic world are played in the corners of this room, each carrying unique emotional tones while representing the geographic expansiveness of Sufism. Although each tradition has its unique nuances, their harmonious combination illustrates a core idea in Sufism—the “unity of existence.”
The sound setup also layers symbolic meanings that reflect the theme of “artistic creation” in Sufism. For instance, the artists have used the poem displayed in this room “Kiam Man” (“Who Am I?”) by Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, as inspiration for their improvisations, playing musical phrases that match the poem’s 11-syllable meter. The number 11 is significant in Islamic numerology and is linked to the spiritual chant of Hū (“He”). A large granite kashkūl, positioned in the room, symbolizes the emptiness that is required to resonate the sound of Hū within its emptiness, similar to the sound heard from a seashell held to the ear.
Sound Installation #3: Niveau 3 – Gonbad
Performers:
- Male Persian Vocalist : Asghar Yousefi, Arjang Seyfizadeh
- Female Persian and Arabic Vocalist : Mina Deris
- Male Arabic Vocalist : Walid Ben Selim
Poets:
- Hazrat-e Shahmaghsoud Sadegh Angha (1916-1980)
- Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 AD):
- Rabia Basri (718-801 AD)
This dome is specifically designed to resonate sound and foster an immersive experience encompassing poetry, music, and architecture all at once. Positioned beneath the dome, listeners are enveloped by the poetic verses of Sufism that are sung in the narrative Masnavi musical-poetic form. Featuring female and male voices, the melodies are sung in both Persian and Arabic. The Masnavi form of singing has been a core practice within Sufism for centuries. In this style, the poetic verses are sung in a declamatory fashion representing a harmonious synthesis of music and literature that enhances the understanding of teachings. Each melody is dressed by runs of vocal ornaments that mimic the singing of nightingales, symbolizing their songs of love.