The first exhibition in Portugal by Tarek Atoui is part of the project I/E, ongoing since 2015, in which Atoui captures the sounds of port cities —Athens, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Beirut or Porto– by recording their harbours’ industrial, human, and ecological activities. Together with artist/recordist Eric La Casa, they listen to sound below the surface of the sea or within materials such as metal, stone, and wood.
On Waters’ Witness, the audio recordings of the sea ports of Athens, Abu Dhabi and Porto are played through materials chosen in every location — marble stones from Athens, steal beams from Abu Dhabi, and wooden structures housing compost, worms and organic material specifically produced for the Serralves presentation.