MOMO – SILENT INK

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by Xie Rong (aka Echo Morgan)

Percussion by Beibei Wang | Pipa by Dr. Cheng Yu

SOAS GALLERY, London 2024

Curated by: Katie Hill | Film by: Mike Skelton

默墨 MOMO – Silent Ink unfolds against the celestial backdrop of Jizi’s cosmic ink paintings. Xie Rong brings to life three deeply personal stories: her mother’s tragic car accident and subsequent unhappy marriage, the shadowed memories of her childhood, and the grief of her father’s passing. These poignant narratives echo the silence of generational trauma, resonating with Afghanistan’s forbidden Heaven Songs—a haunting emblem of suppressed voices and unspeakable truths.

A soundscape infused with the echoes of the Silk Road amplifies this exploration. Contributions from Uyghur musician Shohret Nur and Afghan drumming recorded by Elizabeth Nott seamlessly intertwine with Beibei Wang’s live percussion and Dr. Cheng Yu’s pipa. Together, these elements weave a rich tapestry of cultural and historical expression, their harmonic interplay bridging worlds.

Here, ink becomes more than a medium—it transforms into a reclamation of the female voice, turning silence into resilience. The performance draws upon cosmic energies, offering a space for healing and strength through the collective power of fractured yet interconnected silences.

默墨 MOMO – Silent Ink is a journey of solace and solidarity, where art confronts trauma and transforms it into a collective narrative of endurance and hope.