shut up and listen! 2011: Near West – Interdisciplinary Festival for Music and Sound Art featuring contemporary music and art practices from Israel, Palestine and neighbouring Arab countries :: December 8 and 10, 2011 :: Echoraum, Sechshauser Str. 66, 1150 Vienna.

shut up and listen! (SUAL) 2011 provides a stage for artists from the so-called ‘Near East’, some of whom found a second (maybe temporary) home in Austria or other European countries. The festival’s title Near West implies a change of perspective regarding the – sometimes utopian – proximity to the ‘Fortress Europe’. SUAL 2011 strives to present exceptional artistic positions in the realms of music, sound art, as well as related artistic categories. Far beyond political demarcation lines, a geographic region is explored by artistic criteria, individual idiosyncrasies are highlighted, individual collaborations encouraged. The scope of SUAL 2011 ranges from contemporary instrumental compositions free improvisation, electroacoustic electronic music, and world music, to artistic creations within the domains of documentary film and media art. Additional activities include a panel discussion, a lecture about traditional Arabic music, and a composition contest in collaboration with Austrian and international music institutions.

Produced by sp ce – Platform for Music, Art and Intermedia.
Curators: Belma Bešlić-Gál and Bernhard Gál