KMSKA LATE - Jaouad Alloul x Antony Gormley

How freely can the body move within a museum?
How does the voice relate to the body and the museum?
What privileges do we have when we are granted access?

Whilst visiting the large cube (Murmur, 2014) in the exhibition Antony Gormley. Geestgrond, Jaouad Alloul’s spirit wanted to enter the cube. His body, however, resisted and signalled to his spirit that this was not permitted.

That experience forms the starting point for an artistic exploration in which Jaouad Alloul, together with Turiya Haudenhuyse, explores the essence of imagination. How do we align mind, voice and body so that we can move from a place where imagination is given free rein and limitations fall away?

An exploration of the imagination

Themes such as grief, roots, religion and freedom of expression resonate time and again in Jaouad Alloul’s creative work. He brings together diverse cultures, not to emphasise contrasts, but to allow new forms of connection and new subcultures to emerge.

The body is the resonating chamber of the voice. For vocalists, the voice is merely a small part of the whole. It is the engagement of the body and the liberation of the mind that create the freedom to produce sound.

Our inner life colours the reality we experience. The body, as the vessel of the soul, moves under the influence of the mind. But is that mind truly free? Or is it constrained by constructs that prevent us from expressing ourselves fully?

These questions serve as the starting point for the collaborative research by Jaouad Alloul and Turiya Haudenhuyse. It is part of a wider creative process centred on a contemporary Baroque opera in which body, voice, mind and imagination converge.

Jaouad Alloul

Storyteller

Jaouad Alloul is a multidisciplinary artist who brings together music, theatre, literature, video and performance. His work explores identity, ritual and transformation, with the stage serving as a space for embodiment and change.

Turiya Haudenhuyse

Soprano, vocal coach

Turiya Haudenhuyse is a Belgian soprano with Indian roots, known for her strong stage presence and versatility across opera, concert and crossover genres. In her artistic practice, she brings together classical repertoire and new works, with a particular affinity for interdisciplinary projects.