SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, Bonaventure
Souffles: On Deep Listening and Active Reception

Souffles: On Deep Listening and Active Reception examines listening as a practice of coexistence, the precarity of breath, and the cultural traditions of Gnawa and Sufi communities. The book centers on the first Invocation for the 36th Bienal de São Paulo held in Marrakech, exploring how these sonic traditions are enacted, preserved, and passed down, the book borrows its title from “Souffles,” a poem by Birago Diop on the potential of listening to a plethora of beings, to consider ancient practices of deep listening—from the performative rituals of Gnawa brotherhood to the oral tradition of Halqa (people’s theater) in North African theater forms. [publishers' note]
With contributions by Amina Agueznay, Miriam Alves, Leila Bencharnia, Omar Berrada, Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Thiago de Paula Souza, Ghassan El Hakim, Keyna Eleison, Maha Elmadi, Anna Roberta Goetz, Laila Hida, Taoufiq Izeddiou, Fatima-Zahra Lakrissa, Mirella Maria, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Alberto Pitta, Alya Sebti, and Kenza Sefrioui.

Published by Center for Art / Research and Alliances, 2025
Design by Studio Yukiko
Curatorial Studies