Interludes: A Live Podcast Experience with Lou Mensah and Axel Kacoutié

Join us at Hauser & Wirth London for a special evening with Lou Mensah and Axel Kacoutié as the creative duo introduce the newly launched Shade Podcast Season 5, entitled ‘Interludes.’

This immersive audio experience runs over six episodes, featuring contemporary artists Amy Sherald, Ming Smith, Phoebe Boswell, Rahima Gambo, Nnena Kalu and Cassi Namoda. ‘Interludes’ is an experiment in expansive listening. It takes as its premise the idea that art is not only something to dissect intellectually, it should be felt, as a full-body experience.

Framed by the question ‘What does healing sound like?’, the podcast offers a visceral connection with the artists’ work. In each episode, the artists’ reflections are weaved through Axel's original soundscapes, as a collaborative exploration of their creative experience. The aim is to soften our tendency to intellectualise artwork, and instead create a sonic texture that is more intimate in its connection with the artist and broader audiences.

Creator Axel Kacoutié and Producer Lou Mensah will discuss how the unique concept developed, and share excerpts from across the season, including an audio response to Amy Sherald’s ‘For love, and for country’ (2022) on view within the artist’s solo exhibition, ‘The World We Make,’ at Hauser & Wirth London.

This event is free to attend and is supported by Hauser & Wirth Learning. Please arrive from 6.30 pm for a welcome drink, with the talk starting promptly at 7 pm.

---

About Lou Mensah and Shade Podcast

Hosted by Lou Mensah, Shade engages a wide community of creatives across disciplines, who have challenged existing narratives on representation and identity within their work. Lou has worked in the creative industries for over 20 years, as a fine art photographer and lecturer at Central Saint Martins, collaborating with major institutions, fashion houses and internationally celebrated artists. Shade has received widespread critical acclaim, including the silver award for ‘Best Art & Culture Podcast’ in the British Podcast Awards 2021.

About Axel Kacoutié

Axel Kacoutié is a creator who has been crafting sound, music and words to challenge the familiar and revive a magic in the mundane. They are the Creative Director of Sound for Guardian Podcasts (UK) and the sound designer and theme composer for its flagship daily news podcast, Today in Focus. Their work has featured on the BBC and institutions such as the Barbican. They have received awards from Third Coast: Best Documentary Gold Award, Sarah Lawrence College International Audio Fiction Award, British Podcast Awards and many more.