This article appeared in Being Muhannad Shono Issue #70 which delves into the world of Saudi artist Muhannad Shono, exploring his creative journey, artistic process, and global impact. Through visuals and an in-depth interview, it highlights Shono’s works that connect personal memory with universal themes. The issue traces his evolution from early creations to monumental installations, revealing a progression driven by curiosity and innovation. This issue celebrates Shono’s global success and his curatorial role in the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale.
Issue #70 ‘Being Muhannad Shono’
A Song of Silence, 2022
A Song of Silence, 400 black palm stems was a public art commission for Parcours Art Basel, 2022, Curated by Samuel Leuenberger with funding by Athr gallery. The work showed at the Stadtcasino Basel.
‘Perched upon a rock with seven vails fluttering above him, sat the anxious archangel Israfel. For since his creation, he knew one day he would be asked to play the trumpet that rests upon his thigh. Not knowing when this day would come left him feeling nervous for he had never played a single musical instrument nor had he auditioned for this role.
He realised he had been feeling this way for a very long time, almost as long as the conception of time. As the days went on, and the wait grew longer, his insecurities grew louder. He dreaded the day the call would come, what if he made a mess of it all? What if the world saw him as a fraud?
So one day, overcome with nerves he could wait no longer. He left his post when he thought he was not being watched, hiding the trumpet under his wing he hurried to a forest nearby. He found a spot in the middle of the woods to sit and rehearse.
When he blew the trumpet for the very first time, birds dropped like sticks from the trees, insects flipped onto their backs motionless, and all manner of life around him fell silent as every creature in the forest in one breath died.
Seeing the destruction he had caused he was overcome with sorrow. Mournful of what he had done, he blew the trumpet in agony once again, reciting a song that brought every creature back to life.
He then broke down the trumpet and replaced it with a branch so he would never play his song of silence again.’
