MONTREAL.- We invite you to slip into the unctuous sounds of artist Emel Mathlouthi, whose voice accompanies the exhibition The Fury, as part of Habitat Sonore’s new programming. that began on June 28 at the PHI Centre.

In a highly fictionalized and stylized approach, The Fury explores the sexual exploitation of female political prisoners, referencing the Islamic Republic of Iran's brutal treatment of political prisoners.

During this double-channel video, we follow the psychological and emotional state of a woman who, while now on free, remains haunted by memories of sexual assault, torture and rape from her detention. Throughout this narrative, the artist, Shirin Neshat, poignantly addresses the issue of the female body as both an object of desire and of violence. The Fury is a combination of cinematic flashbacks and dream visions, where Neshat uses music and movement to process and convey the protagonist's trauma.

The Fury is also complemented by a virtual reality (VR) work, where Neshat captures a pivotal scene from the artwork with an all-encompassing effect allowing the spectator to experience the same physical and emotional charge lived by the protagonist. The VR work is a strong example of how the medium can amplify the characteristically breathtaking and—at the same time—completely unfreezing imagery that characterizes Neshat's body of work.

Creating the backdrop to this charged work, is Tunisian-American singer-songwriter, Emel Mathlouthi. After visiting The Fury, we invite you to continue your immersive journey and further explore the sounds of Mathouthi in a 360-degree sound experience in PHI’s immersive listening room, Habitat Sonore.

Included in your ticket to The Fury, you will have the opportunity to escape into the Habitat Sonore space, located on the lower level of the PHI Centre. Here, you will dip into the sounds of artist Emel Mathlouthi, who was called “...the 21st Century's Catalyst for change.” by NPR (National Public Radio).

Shirin Neshat is an Iranian-born artist and filmmaker living in New York. Neshat works and continues to experiment with the mediums of photography, video and film, which she imbues with highly poetic and politically charged images and narratives. They question issues of power, religion, race, gender and the relationship between the past and present, East and West, individual and collective, through her experiences as an Iranian woman living in exile.

Emel Mathlouthi is a Tunisian-American singer-songwriter, composer, performer and producer whose music has crossed time, countries and continents. Born in Tunis, Emel has built her musical universe inspired by revolutionary artists such as Sheikh Imam, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, The Cranberries and Tool. In 2008 she fled Tunis for Paris after her music was banned in Tunisia and she was prevented from performing in the country. With creative freedom in Paris, Emel pursued writing and perfecting her protest songs, mainly voice, guitar, north African percussions and cello.

PHI

Founded and directed by Phoebe Greenberg and based in Montreal, Canada, PHI is a multidisciplinary organization positioned at the intersection of art, film, music, design and technology. Offering a panoramic perspective of radical ideas focused on collective experience, social impact, and audience interactivity, PHI is committed to future generations of art consumption.

PHI consists of the PHI Centre, PHI Studio, artist-in-residence programs, and PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art. Through eclectic programming and a strong emphasis on content creation, PHI fosters unexpected encounters between artists and audiences.