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Soundwave
Year: 2026
Medium: Electric cables on metal mesh
Dimensions: 180x70 cm
Rooted in her practice of tracing the invisible, Sulafa Mohammed gives new dimensions to sound through an electric cable sculpture. This project begins with a single gesture that holds a lot of its strength in its simplicity: To capture the word “future,” formed by the artist’s voice, by visualizing the contours of its sound wave. The transformation of sound from its felt yet unseen state into a physical form that becomes perceptible to sight and touch, reflects the dialogue between multiple dualities as they come together. Polar opposites like the tangible and the intangible, the analog and the digital, coalesce and become sites of harmony to behold.
The material used for this piece takes a seemingly incorporeal, bodiless thing and turns it into something physical. Electrical cables represent the mechanics of sound as it moves from waves to signals, all coursing through the very wires we use every day. The methodology of the artwork stems from Sulafa’s practice, latch hooking as a specialized technique and sculpture as a prolific medium, leveraging the materiality of the cable and turning it into a thread that shapes the invisible. Every strand is woven by hand, holding together an otherwise untouchable form that can now be fixed in place. Through this labor-intensive process, the work seeks to go beyond the represention of sound by translating the fleeting experience of listening to a time-bound medium. With repetition and duration embedded in the making, the otherwise unnoticed effort behind such immaterial phenomena becomes apparent, allowing time, voice, and gesture to accumulate as a material presence.
The work grows almost organically from a metal mesh that acts as the ground from which the sculpture holds structure and flexibility in equal measure. The sculpture is a result of a spontaneous and intentional process. By following the cables, Sulafa engages with sound as it moves through systems of connection and transmission. Within this framework, she carefully inserts cables of varying colors (black, light grey, dark grey, yellow, and white) to trace shifts within the recorded waveform. The subtlety between each shade of grey creates depth and continuity, while yellow and white punctuate the surface, suggesting moments of emphasis or intensity within the spoken word.
The work exists in the space between sound and form, where a fleeting voice becomes a fixed, tactile presence. By using cable materials typically associated with transmitting sound, Sulafa reinforces a conceptual loop between source and representation. The same cables that are typically used to depict sound, now belong to the same system that enables it. It stands as an invitation for viewers to experience sound beyond hearing by considering its rhythm, line, density, and material.
Year: 2026
Medium: Electric cables on metal mesh
Dimensions: 180x70 cm
Rooted in her practice of tracing the invisible, Sulafa Mohammed gives new dimensions to sound through an electric cable sculpture. This project begins with a single gesture that holds a lot of its strength in its simplicity: To capture the word “future,” formed by the artist’s voice, by visualizing the contours of its sound wave. The transformation of sound from its felt yet unseen state into a physical form that becomes perceptible to sight and touch, reflects the dialogue between multiple dualities as they come together. Polar opposites like the tangible and the intangible, the analog and the digital, coalesce and become sites of harmony to behold.
The material used for this piece takes a seemingly incorporeal, bodiless thing and turns it into something physical. Electrical cables represent the mechanics of sound as it moves from waves to signals, all coursing through the very wires we use every day. The methodology of the artwork stems from Sulafa’s practice, latch hooking as a specialized technique and sculpture as a prolific medium, leveraging the materiality of the cable and turning it into a thread that shapes the invisible. Every strand is woven by hand, holding together an otherwise untouchable form that can now be fixed in place. Through this labor-intensive process, the work seeks to go beyond the represention of sound by translating the fleeting experience of listening to a time-bound medium. With repetition and duration embedded in the making, the otherwise unnoticed effort behind such immaterial phenomena becomes apparent, allowing time, voice, and gesture to accumulate as a material presence.
The work grows almost organically from a metal mesh that acts as the ground from which the sculpture holds structure and flexibility in equal measure. The sculpture is a result of a spontaneous and intentional process. By following the cables, Sulafa engages with sound as it moves through systems of connection and transmission. Within this framework, she carefully inserts cables of varying colors (black, light grey, dark grey, yellow, and white) to trace shifts within the recorded waveform. The subtlety between each shade of grey creates depth and continuity, while yellow and white punctuate the surface, suggesting moments of emphasis or intensity within the spoken word.
The work exists in the space between sound and form, where a fleeting voice becomes a fixed, tactile presence. By using cable materials typically associated with transmitting sound, Sulafa reinforces a conceptual loop between source and representation. The same cables that are typically used to depict sound, now belong to the same system that enables it. It stands as an invitation for viewers to experience sound beyond hearing by considering its rhythm, line, density, and material.
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