Bani Haykal’s research looks into the history and affect of the cultural cold war through the movement of Jazz music; identifying the political baggage associated with freedom and democracy as unpacked concepts locked in to the sociopolitical, economic and cultural narrative. Mirroring it to the narrative of Singapore’s present interest in music and the arts, Haykal posits the myths of freedom and cultural expansion as political and conceptual pollution that needs to be rethought and reimagined.

As a critically reflective artist and thinker, Haykal’s work examines the perceptions, relevance and culture of sound and music. This is often materialised through collaborations with artists across all fields as a means to discover new musical forms. These compositions can be interpreted as language in which to understand wider politics at play.