Haroon Mirza

Haroon Mirza was born in London in 1977 and lives and works between London and Sheffield. 

Haroon Mirza’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses structural assemblage, immersive installation, and live performance. Rooted in music, particularly rhythm, syncopation, and sampling techniques influenced by his experience as a DJ, his work explores the relationship between sound, space, and perception. Mirza approaches his practice like a composer, arranging the aesthetic and acoustic qualities of materials and environments to create new visual, sonic, and tactile experiences. Across his diverse body of work, electricity and its manipulation serve as recurring elements, allowing him to explore forms of perception that extend beyond the visual focus traditionally associated with contemporary art. 

Mirza was the recipient of the 2015 Calder Prize. During his residency at Atelier Calder, he approached the studio as a space for experimentation, developing The Calling (2013), a sound and light installation composed of radios, speakers, video, and lamps. The complex system appeared to operate as a chain reaction activated by electricity. Although the movement and interaction of its components initially seemed random, they were in fact controlled by a precise computer program. Combining images, sound, music, and electronic effects, the installation drew on the language of electronic music and DJ mixing techniques. Through this work, Mirza merged performance and composition, presenting music as a unique sensory experience shaped by technology, rhythm, and space.