Powerful political statements and innovative formats at Ultima 2025

A route to Ultima 2025

At Ultima, we listen closely to the present, showcasing artists who respond to the urgencies of our time.

One such voice is that of young composer and animation artist Golnaz Shariatzadeh. In Blue Womb (part of Don't Leave the Room), she imagines a city where she and her sister seek shelter from the post-apocalyptic landscape of their hometown, in the wake of the 2022 protests in Iran.

In Mothers are worried, Inger Hannisdal and Karen Keyrouz trace the slow seepage of fear and violence into everyday life, drawing on conversations with their mothers against the backdrop of last year’s escalating war in Lebanon.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s After SFX delves into the unstable terrain of sonic memory, showing how our recollections of sound can shape our understanding of violence, truth, and justice when words and images fall short. After SFX is presented at MUNCH alongside Hamdan’s Zifzafa, an exhibition exploring the sonic and environmental impact of wind turbines.

This resonates with Jet Whistles / The Grand Exhalation, an installation by Johannes Kreidler featuring thunder sheets and the amplified sounds of motorised wind machines.

Each of these works not only responds to the present with alertness and imagination—they also expand the very formats through which we experience music.

Come listen, reflect, and wonder with the artists of Ultima 2025 as they share their compelling sonic testimonies!