In recent years, Archive Khanah has found a home in some of Slemani’s most significant cultural landmarks, each space carrying a unique legacy deeply connected [...]

In recent years, Archive Khanah has been hosted at Piramerd House and the Dr Nabaz Museum—two iconic cultural spaces in Slemani. This year, Archive Khanah invites audiences back to these historic venues to experience the Kurdish Sound Archive, deepening the connection between place, memory, and listening.

SPACE21’s tenth edition opens at the Culture House with Archive Khanah’s new sound archive collector, celebrating the preservation of Kurdish sonic heritage. For two years, Archive Khanah has amplified the vital role of sound archivists, ensuring Kurdish sounds and stories are kept alive for future generations.

SPACE21 launches a radio listening bus tour, transforming the city bus into a moving exhibition. Participants will tune into local radio frequencies—reviving memories of communal listening, shared news, and songs of freedom. This event rekindles the bus as a cultural space, uniting people through collective listening.

The next space SPACE21 will revisit for listening, and as the starting point for the listening walk session during the festival, is Amna-Suraka, the former Red Security building, where Kurdish resistance members were tortured during the dictatorship. By beginning the walk here, SPACE21 invites participants to reflect on the building's difficult past through listening and to witness how the city comes alive each new day, embodying resilience and renewal.

The Hammam's unique architecture creates a distinctive sonic environment that powerfully evokes Kurdish memories. Though less central today, its acoustics still connect people to their history. By hosting the SPACE21 exhibition here, the Hammam becomes a living space for shared listening and reflection on the region’s past and transformation.

Paia Studio, once an abandoned public swimming pool, is now a creative hub for cultural activities. This year, SPACE21 will present a live performance here, reflecting the studio’s unique history and transformation, and celebrating its new role as a vibrant space for artistic expression.

Maryam of Virgin Church, one of Slemani’s oldest buildings, offers a unique acoustic environment where sound, memory, and place intertwine. Its resonant architecture preserves generations of prayers and gatherings, making each visit a powerful experience of connecting with the city’s deep history through listening.