Ha'layla
2022
Graduate show at Bezalel Academy MFA program, Tel-Aviv campus.
Curated by Dor Guez and Hadas Maor.
Mentor - Eli Petel (Eliyahu Fatal)
Sound piece, 21 mins, loop and wall drawing
A Jerusalemite Sephardic family gathering (hafla) immerse the space with sound and
drawing. Elinor Sahm created a timeless, multi-generational event, linking recordings
from the 1950s up to the 2000s from her family archive, with contemporary
recordings of family members and musicians. She brings the celebration to life, the
family tradition that has faded. The head of the family and host of the
event—Avraham Abuganim, Sahm׳s great-grandfather, an oud player, cantor, and
liturgical poet—leads his audience to exaltation and elation, called Tarab in
Arabic—a refinement of emotion or ecstasy stemming from the climactic moments of
music. Sahm perceives this purified moment as a moment of spiritual connection
between those physically present and those who are absent through voice and
music.
Recording and music production by Offir Benjaminov (Benja)
Photos and video by Daniel Hanoch and Sigal Kolton.
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