Alongside the current exhibition at The Lab: “Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione?”, Ahmad Barakat shares details about the journey of transforming the Lab space into an intensive carpentry workshop and then an exhibition based on Mari’s archive and philosophy against consumerism and the capitalist culture in the furniture making industry.

The talk also includes a discussion with participants on the structural notions in Enzo Mari’s designs and the conceptual and visual aspects of the exhibition.

The talk is in Arabic.

Ahmad Barakat is a musician, woodworker, and civil engineer based in Amman. ‏ His musical styles extend from traditional forms such as maqam music to jazz fusions and experimental collaborative projects combining dance, sound, and material installation. In pursuit of harmony between space and sound, Barakat started experimenting with acoustics and soundproofing. This endeavour led to acquiring a workshop space that eventually became an extension of his music studio. Furniture building is a product of this marriage and is a passion driven by the strong link between engineering and construction. The realization that disciplines, however sparse and remote, are still connected and close is a great source of inspiration for Barakat’s creative process; his workflow for designing a piece of furniture is driven by parallels found in music and engineering.

Photograph by Mohammad Hammad.