DisOrient – An Orientation

Official artwork for «DisOrient – Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors» (Design: Ali Sayah 2020)
DisOrient – An Orientation

The Norient Special «DisOrient» presents contemporary music videos from the Middle East as well as Central and South Asia, that challenge Orientalist stereotypes. Project curators Dara Shikoh Channa and Theresa Beyer know this is a sensitive topic.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Mashrou' Leila, Rehab Hazgui, Manizha

Self-Orientalism in Arab Pop Music

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Self-Orientalism in Arab Pop Music

When Saad Lamjarred’s hit song «Lm3allem» topped the charts, little attention was given to the self-Orientalist imageries that were propagated by this song. If anything, this music video is another invitation to further endorse the global trend of Orientalist consumerism.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Ali Sayah

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 3

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 3

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist by curator Neil van der Linden, who predominantly focuses on videos from Saudi Arabia.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Ehab Farouk

Unheimliche Heimat

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Unheimliche Heimat

With four main notes only, the video game «Prince of Persia» tries to build a soundscape that illustrates a mysterious and timeless «Orient». Composer Rehab Hazgui took the Orientalist motive and turned it on its head to create a spooky deconstruction of musical stereotypes.

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Design: Ali Sayah

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 6

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 6

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist curated by anthropologist and musician Daniyal Ahmed, who focuses on Pakistan.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Bipin Panchal

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 1

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 1

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist by the curator and researcher Berit Schuck, who focuses on videos from Morocco, Egypt, and Lebanon.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Women of the Iranian Revolution Records

On the Rise: The Complexities of Middle Eastern Opera

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
On the Rise: The Complexities of Middle Eastern Opera

Norient spoke with the Lebanese-American media artist, composer, and educator Joe Namy about his new project on opera and about «Libretto-o-o: d’artifice». The audiovisual work unravels Middle Eastern opera, nation-building processes, and the architecture of the opera house.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Joe Namy

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 4

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 4

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist curated by artist and musician Ali Sayah, who focuses on the Iranian indie scene.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Photo: Fabio Fabbi
Sound: Ali Sayah

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 5

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 5

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist by curator and activist Georgy Mamedov, who focuses on videos from Central Asia.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Manizha

How Radio Noises Can Become Swiss

Norient Snap by Christoph Brünggel
How Radio Noises Can Become Swiss

What was the fascination with listening to Swiss international radio? Patricia Jäggi reconstructed the former auditory experience and came to the hypothesis that it probably wasn’t only interest in overseas news and exotic music. But also the hiss in the channel itself.

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Design: Christoph Brünggel
Photo: Feld, StAAG/RBA1-1-18556_1
Remix: Patricia Jäggi, Christoph Brünggel

Challenging Orientalism Pt. 2

Norient Snap by Ali Sayah
Challenging Orientalism Pt. 2

Six international curators from the Norient community have researched contemporary music videos that re-imagine, parody, or deconstruct Orientalism. Here is the shortlist by curator and designer Basak Senova, who focuses on videos from Türkiye.

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Design: Ali Sayah
Sound: Ali Sayah