With Mendi + Keith Obadike, Rena Anakwe / DJ Lady Lane, chukwumaa / chuki, Havily Nwakuche, Rain Abdalla

How do recorded expressions on love shape our world? Inspired by the world’s oldest known love song—a Sumerian text that was preserved for 4,000 years on clay tablets—Love is Listening was an evening of sonic, textual and material explorations of 4,000 contemporary love songs, echoing the ancient text’s lasting form. Intimate listening stations staffed by facilitator-DJs welcomed small groups for private listening sessions from a carefully curated database of love songs, followed by a guided reflection  on personal memories, lyrical interpretations, or emotional connections. At other stations, participants were invited to share memories on a postcard wall, and inscribe a meaningful phrase from their selected song onto a clay tablet, inspired by the ancient Sumerian love song.