Leila
Bencharnia

Born in Morocco, Leila Bencharnia is a sound artist, acousmatic interpreter, and musician based in Milan. Daughter of a traditional Moroccan musician, their dialogue with sound began in the village near the Atlas mountains where they spent their childhood. Their sonic work is composed of analogic material including tapes, vinyls, and synthesizers. They recognize forms of radical listening as a modality of knowledge transmission. Bencharnia’s practice seeks to have an active role in the decolonizing of listening as a way to engage with social and political complexity.

In collaboration with Mophradat and MaerzMusik Festival, Leila Bencharnia is invited to Berlin with a DAAD Arts and Media fellowship from January to March 2024. During this period, they are developing a sound piece with the Berlin based Ensemble Adapter. The piece is inspired by the rhythmic patterns found in Tamazight weaving practices. By exploring African fractals and color codes inherent in handwoven textiles, they drift into experimental sound spaces, shifting the emphasis towards attentive listening and patient anticipation. The piece will be premiered at MaerzMusik in March 2024.