Alexandra Katerinopoulou—Sofyann Ben Youssef (AKA AMMAR 808)
In co-production with the Athens Conservatoire

Curated by Stavros Gasparatos

COMMISSION

Alexandra Katerinopoulou—Sofyann Ben Youssef (AKA AMMAR 808)
LOSS

LOSS is an immersive audio-visual installation by Sofyann Ben Youssef, the Tunisian music producer and composer celebrated for his fusion of traditional music with modern electronic soundscapes, and Alexandra Katerinopoulou, a composer who integrates traditional instruments, vocal arrangements, classical orchestral components, as well as analogue modular and digital synthesizers. Drawing inspiration from both Greek and Arabic traditions, the work dives headlong into the universal human experience of loss, exploring its personal, collective, cultural, and cosmic dimensions through an intricate fusion of sound, light, and sensory manipulation. By blending music, storytelling, and spoken word, the artists craft a transformative journey that guides participants through myth, sound, and darkness. The installation incorporates a 3D sound system, dynamic lighting, room scent, and temperature shifts to initiate an environment where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, heightening emotional and physical engagement.

Audience members are invited to engage as passive observers or active participants, moving from introspection to collective release. The installation’s circular progression—from darkness to creation and back—symbolises acceptance and renewal. More than just an art piece, and deeply rooted in the shared Mediterranean heritage of Greek and Tunisian cultures, LOSS offers a profound sensory journey that bridges personal and collective grief, inviting reflection, connection, and transformation.

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The Subset Festival, the multifaceted music platform launched in 2023, held by the Athens Epidaurus Festival in co-production with the Athens Conservatoire, returns refreshed but always with a focus on the dialogue between contemporary music and new media.

Named after a mathematical term (subset ⊆), Subset Festival weaves together diverse versions of contemporary musical creation, incorporating a wide variety of artistic trends. From June 4 to June 8, the Conservatoire venues will host musical ensembles and soloists, established and up-and-coming alike, both from Greece and around the world, visual and sound installations and performances, as well as open-call workshops.