Joe Namy Unveils ‘Cosmic Breath’ Installation in London Against Islamophobia

Key Points

• London Debut of ‘Cosmic Breath’: Lebanese-American artist and composer Joe Namy has unveiled his multi-channel sound installation, “Cosmic Breath”, at Ibraaz’s Musalla in central London, located near Oxford Street.
• Global Chorus of Adhans: The installation features archival and contemporary field recordings of the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) from diverse geographies, including Mecca, Jerusalem, Singapore, Khartoum, Tbilisi, Japan, Algeria, and Walthamstow.
• Response to Hostile Political Climate: Transferred to London following its 2023 premiere at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, the installation is presented as a spiritual sanctuary and artistic counterweight to increasing Islamophobia, xenophobia, and prejudice in the United Kingdom.
• Origin in Interfaith Resistance: The foundational impulse for the artwork stems from a 2020 interfaith protest in Durban, South Africa, organized by a Hindu community member who assembled a car parade broadcasting the adhan over car stereos following local bans on the call to prayer.
• Historical Audio Milestones: Key audio components include the earliest known recording of the adhan from Mecca in the late 19th century, a 1950s archival recording from the Philippines, and Singapore’s Sultan Mosque—the first house of worship to introduce loudspeaker amplification in the 1930s.
• Incorporation of Local Walthamstow Recording: The London iteration includes the first public adhan broadcast in Walthamstow during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, highlighting how communities maintained spiritual connection under social distancing restrictions.

London (The Londoner News) October 17, 2026 – Executive Summary: Lebanese-American artist Joe Namy has launched his multi-channel sound installation “Cosmic Breath” at Ibraaz’s Musalla off Oxford Street in central London. Composed of historical and contemporary field recordings of the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) gathered across centuries and continents, the installation creates a public sanctuary designed to counter rising anti-Muslim prejudice and xenophobia in the UK capital. Co-curated alongside architect Sumayya Vally, the exhibition combines global recordings from Mecca, Jerusalem, and Singapore with a historical local recording from Walthamstow, establishing a reflective space at the intersection of faith, art, and public sound systems.

How Does Joe Namy’s Installation Address Rising Islamophobia in London?

The presentation of “Cosmic Breath” in London marks a significant contextual shift from its initial 2023 debut at the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The transition to the United Kingdom addresses the shifting political and social atmosphere facing British Muslim communities.

As reported by Middle East Eye, artist Joe Namy detailed the altered resonance of presenting the work within central London amid growing social tensions. Namy stated: “Showing it for the first time in Jeddah was a very different experience than showing it here in London, which … situates the work very differently than how it was situated there.” He pointed directly to hostility within the domestic political environment, adding: “Especially now today in the current kind of political climate here in London… there’s just a more heightened kind of Islamophobia, xenophobia, prejudice… all these things that we’ve been experiencing and has been increasing.”

Namy emphasized that situating the installation in the heart of the capital provides a peaceful refuge and an artistic response to sociopolitical friction. As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy noted: “I feel like it’s a more powerful gesture to be able to show it here in the center of London, you know, just off of Oxford Street, and to be able to have this space for people to be able to come, relax.” He highlighted the rare intersection of contemporary art and active faith practice, observing: “I think, what I really enjoy is the fact that it’s thinking about the spirituality in relation to art, which you don’t always get a chance to explore, but also providing a kind of third space for people to explore more.”

What Unique Archival and Global Recordings Are Featured in ‘Cosmic Breath’?

The auditory repertoire of “Cosmic Breath” spans over a century of acoustic history, capturing how geographic, cultural, and technological shifts alter oral traditions.

As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy explained his sociological interest in collective sound systems and public landmarks: “A lot of my work deals with the politics of sound, and deals with the spirituality of sound as well, how it affects us in different ways. So, I’m interested in sound system cultures (and) collective sound experiences as well, and how they impact our lives.”

Among the archival recordings is what is recognized as the earliest known audio recording of the adhan performed at the Haram Mosque in Mecca, dating back to the late 19th century. As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy remarked on the historic track: “I think this one is the first recording that was ever done of the adhan from the late 1800s in Mecca. You can kind of hear the grain of the recording. It’s not a really great recording, but it’s interesting to hear it in context of all the other ones.”

The installation incorporates distinct international recordings representing key milestones in Islamic acoustic history:

• Singapore: A recording from the Sultan Mosque, identified as the first mosque globally to adopt loudspeaker amplification for the call to prayer during the 1930s.
• The Philippines: An archival field recording from the 1950s, capturing one of the earliest documented broadcast calls in the region.
• Jerusalem: Contemporary and historical recitations from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
• Georgia (Tbilisi): A highly embellished, melodic recitation demonstrating vocal improvisation and extended ornamentation.
• Sudan (Khartoum): A recording reflecting colloquial Sudani vocal styles and regional cadence.
• Algeria (Sahrawi Refugee Camp): An unamplified, traditional recitation executed purely through human vocal resonance without electronic systems.
• Japan: An intimate, personal recording of an individual reciting the call to prayer within a forest setting.

To anchor the project within its local British environment, Namy integrated a historical London recording made in Walthamstow by the Waltham Forest Islamic Association during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy stated: “Actually, it was important to bring in something that was local as well, and so this was actually one of the first recordings of a public adhan in London that happened in Walthamstow during COVID. It was again a time (when) everyone was social distancing, and so it was a way for the community to be able to kind of — although they were distant — to feel closer together.”

How Did an Interfaith Protest in South Africa Inspire the Installation?

The conceptual foundation of “Cosmic Breath” traces back to a civic action that occurred in Durban, South Africa, during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. Facing rising social instability and official bans restricting the public broadcasting of the adhan, a local Hindu resident organized a motorcade protest in solidarity with Muslim residents.

As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy recalled how architect and curator Sumayya Vally shared news of the protest with him: “This protest was actually organized by a Hindu community member. He wasn’t Muslim, but he organized this protest in solidarity with the Muslim community there.”

Because public health measures prohibited physical gatherings, participants adapted by driving in a slow parade through the streets with their vehicle audio systems tuned to a synchronized radio frequency broadcasting the adhan. The resulting acoustic reverberation of hundreds of car speakers echoing across urban space formed the primary sonic inspiration for Namy’s broader project. As reported by Middle East Eye, Namy stated: “And that was kind of the first recordings that really made me think about the piece… and bring everything together.”

Background of Public Adhan Broadcasts and Interfaith Sound Art Formats

The public broadcasting of the adhan has historically occupied a complex position within European and Western municipal regulatory frameworks. While the call to prayer is broadcast aloud five times daily across predominantly Muslim-majority nations via minaret loudspeakers, its public transmission in European cities is frequently subject to local noise ordinances, zoning laws, and sociopolitical debates surrounding public religious expression.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, several European municipalities—including communities across the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands—granted temporary exemptions allowing mosques to broadcast the adhan publicly via loudspeakers to foster community resilience during periods of strict isolation. In London, the broadcast by the Waltham Forest Islamic Association marked a rare public transmission in the capital’s modern history. Joe Namy’s artwork builds upon a growing movement within contemporary sound art that examines how sacred oral traditions adapt to modern technology, spatial architecture, and civic pluralism.

How This Development May Affect Art Audiences and Local Communities

The exhibition of “Cosmic Breath” in central London is expected to influence several key cultural and social segments:

• For Contemporary Art Visitors and Gallery Audiences: The installation offers a rare framework for engaging with living religious traditions and sacred sound art within institutional contemporary art settings. Visitors gain exposure to the diversity of global Islamic recitations, challenging monolithic perceptions of sacred acoustics.
• For British Muslim Communities in London: Situated near high-traffic commercial zones off Oxford Street, the installation provides a recognized sanctuary for reflection and spiritual presence, serving as an artistic counterweight to anti-Muslim rhetoric in public discourse.
• For Cultural Curators and Public Programmers: The successful integration of faith-based soundscapes within public art spaces is likely to encourage curators across Europe to explore sound system culture, interfaith collaborations, and acoustic heritage projects that bridge social divides within urban centers.