UROK

UROK (NL/Iraq), aka Urok Shirhan, is an Athens-based artist, researcher, and DJ working at the intersection of performance, visual arts, and critical theory. As a DJ, her sets unfold a polyglot club sound—where up-tempo Arab and Latinx rhythms meet leftfield techno and deconstructed bass, blending sweet pop melodies with percussive electronics.

UROK has DJed for the opening of the 18th Istanbul Biennial at Soho House Istanbul; for Radio Alhara x Art Explora in Piraeus; and has contributed a DJ set for Ibraaz London’s new online platform. She has been a resident DJ at 1982 Art Space & Bar in Athens, with regular DJ sets at other local venues such as Latraac, BIOS, Cantina Social, PLEX, and Romantso. Previously, UROK hosted the monthly live show ‘Sound Without Image’ on Radio Alhara, broadcasting from Bethlehem, Palestine.

As an artist, her research often emerges from questions rooted in her biography and in her family’s history of political struggle and (forced) migration. Her latest body of work considers the role of sound—and, in particular, the voice—in relation to collectivity, dissidence, and belonging. She has recently performed at Sonic Acts Biennial in Amsterdam, and her texts have been published with ‘Infrasonica,’ ‘NORIENT,’ ‘The Derivative’ at the Beirut Art Center, ‘Sonic Continuum’ at Nottingham Contemporary, and ‘PrintRoom’ in Rotterdam.

Urok Shirhan participated in the Onassis AiR Extended Research Residencies program for 2024/25.