We have normalised seeing war, but not listening to it.

We live in a world saturated with violent images. Hypervisibility has anaesthetised us: we see, but we do not react. Sound, on the other hand, can still move us.

At Primavera Sound, sound is emotion, connection, pleasure. But sound can also be the opposite: it can become a weapon.

With this installation, we want to remind you that in Gaza and other parts of the world, sound is pain. It is fear. It is torture and trauma.

Bombings can reach up to 170 decibels. That is much more than the human body can withstand. This type of sound is acoustic violence and leaves irreversible physical and emotional scars.

Despite this, the opposite of the sound of bombs is not silence. Silence is what allows them.

Every day we see how wars and armed violence are multiplying. We have normalised increased military spending, warmongering rhetoric and attempts to criminalise and silence voices that defend peace. And this is no coincidence: the silence of the majority is a necessary condition for wars and genocides to be possible.

This installation is a conceptualization by Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra and NOVACT, with support from the Primavera Sound Foundation. The soundscape is by Palestinian sound engineer Oussama Rima.

The money raised from the sale of t-shirts and sweatshirts at the Unsilence Gaza stand at the festival will go towards emergency medical aid through the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. You can also make a donation directly on their website:

“Unsilence Gaza”  is part of the awareness-raising activities carried out by the Primavera Sound Foundation in collaboration with associations and artists. At the 2024 edition of Primavera Sound Barcelona, artist Jofre Oliveras presented ‘Gaza: A Mirror of our Society’, an audiovisual portal that allowed visitors to delve into the daily reality of Gaza.