Composition for a Public Park (2013)

A musical artwork written to be experienced by moving through space, Composition for a Public Park is a large-scale, multi-lingual musical artwork by artist and musician Hassan Khan, featuring multi-channel music and spoken narrative. Unfolding in three simultaneous movements, and composed especially for a public park, the scale and diversity of the work is experienced as you walk through the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park. At the heart of each movement is a spoken libretto, written by Khan and presented here in three languages; Arabic, Urdu and English.

Movement one: Stasis and Majesty
Movement two: The Revolving Jewel
Movement three: No Political Romanticism

Originally commissioned for the Parc de Belleville in Paris, as part of La Nuit Blanche (2013) and later shown at the 57^th Venice Biennial (2017) where it won the Silver Lion, Composition for a Public Park has been acquired by Art Jameel and will be on from November 3, 2019 to May 22, 2022.

The work is freely accessible every day from 10am to 10pm.

About Hassan Khan

Hassan Khan (b. 1975) lives and works in Cairo, Egypt. Hassan is an artist, musician and writer. His broad and diverse artistic practice includes music, performance, moving and still image, sculpture, installation and text. Solo exhibitions include The Keys to the Kingdom, Reina Sofia, Madrid (2019); The Portrait is an Address, Beirut Art Center, Beirut, (2016); Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, MMK, Frankfurt, (2015); Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival, Cairo (2014); SALT, Istanbul (2012); trusted sources, CCA, Kitakyushu(2011); evidence of evidence, Kunst Halle St Gallen (2009).

He has taken part in numerous biennials including the 57^th Venice Biennale (2017), Sharjah (2015), dOCUMENTA 13 (2012) and The Ungovernables, New Museum Triennial (2012), Manifesta 8, Murcia (2010); 3rd Yokohama Triennale (2008). Khan’s most recent publication An Anthology of Published and Unpublished Writings is co-published by Stäedelschule and Koenig Books and his album – SUPERSTRUCTURE EP was released earlier this year by The Vinyl Factory.