Organized by TBA21 and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, in partnership with UNRWA Spain and Médicos sin Fronteras
Exclusive performance of John Akomfrah, Julianknxx and THABO
Sunday, November 2, 2025 | 8 PM | Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
TBA21 and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza organizes a special fundraising Gala in solidarity with Palestine and Sudan, initiated by John Akomfrah and TBA21. The event will take place on Sunday, November 2, coinciding with the opening of Akomfrah’s new exhibition Listening All Night to the Rain, first presented at the Venice Biennale 2024.
The Gala brings together art, sound, and community to raise funds for regions deeply affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to international organizations working directly on the ground, with UNRWA Spain (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and Médicos sin Fronteras as the partner organizations responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza and Sudan.
The evening will begin with a private preview of Akomfrah’s exhibition, followed by an exclusive live performance by Julianknxx, John Akomfrah, and THABO. The performance, titled Attuned in the Bantutronic, continues Knxx’s exploration of voice, memory, and resilience—a poetic dialogue with Akomfrah’s cinematic and sonic worlds. This immersive performance will feature Bantutronic: a genre of artistic practice and a collective founded by Julianknxx, THABO, and a community of musicians and vocalists. Bantutronic brings together artists from across the Bantu diaspora of central and southern Africa in order to celebrate and expand the richness of its cultural and philosophical traditions.
This special performance features an intimate conversation between Julianknxx, THABO and artist John Akomfrah. Drawing from Akomfrah’s work, Listening All Night To The Rain, which explores themes of memory, migration, racial injustice and climate change, the performance foregrounds the power of sound and listening as a way of connecting histories, communities, and ideas.
PROGRAM OF THE EVENING
8–9 PM / Welcome drinks and visit to the exhibition John Akomfrah, Listening All Night to the Rain.
9–9:15 PM / Welcome words
9:15–10 PM / Performance Attuned in the Bantutronic, by Julianknxx, THABO and John Akomfrah
10–11 PM / Cocktail and visit to the exhibition Warhol - Pollock
HOW TO COLLABORATE
Your participation makes a difference.
You can support this initiative by visiting the official webpages of UNRWA Spain and the Médicos sin Fronteras, where you will find detailed information about the Gala and how to contribute. A minimum donation of €250 secures one seat for the Gala, including access to the private preview of Listening All Night to the Rain, Warhol-Pollock and the exclusive live performance by Julianknxx, THABO and John Akomfrah.
If you are unable to attend in person, you can still take part in this collective gesture of solidarity through a special “Fila Cero” contribution, ensuring that your support reaches those most in need through UNRWA Spain and Médicos sin Fronteras working on the ground.
Every contribution, no matter the form, helps transform listening into action, and art into a force for hope and repair.
SUDAN: ACCESS THE DONATION PLATFORM AND TICKET ENTRANCE / MÉDICOS SIN FRONTERAS
GAZA: ACCESS THE DONATION PLATFORM AND TICKET ENTRANCE/ UNRWA SPAIN
ABOUT MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES
Since 1979, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working in Sudan.
Since its outbreak in April 2023, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over control of the country has caused thousands of deaths and left many people seriously injured. Since the onset of this conflict, Médecins Sans Frontières has adapted its operations to reach those most in need. In a country where the health system has collapsed and violence has become widespread, MSF is, in many areas, the only medical organization present. Currently, MSF operates in eight of Sudan’s eighteen states, providing care to people who are wounded, displaced, or in situations of extreme vulnerability.
Between January and August 2025 alone, the organization carried out more than half a million medical consultations, thousands of surgeries and deliveries, and treated patients suffering from chronic diseases, malnutrition, or psychological trauma. In addition, MSF has supplied over 10 billion liters of clean water by truck, built three waste management areas and 1,075 latrines, vaccinated thousands of children against measles in North Jebel Marra—achieving 100% coverage of the child population—and is responding to a cholera epidemic that continues to spread.
The commitment of each individual can make a real difference. Médecins Sans Frontières invites everyone to join its medical humanitarian work in Sudan.
ABOUT UNRWA
UNRWA is the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees. For 75 years, the agency has worked to ensure the fundamental rights of 6 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. These four letters represent an immeasurable mission—one grounded in humanity, humanitarian action, and an unwavering commitment to the defense of human rights.
Over the past two years, the population of Gaza has endured an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy: massive destruction, constant displacement, bombardments, hunger, and fear have defined daily life. The scale of human loss and the total collapse of essential services have brought civilians to an extreme—yet preventable—situation.
Since October 2023, UNRWA has sustained life in Gaza through an unquestionable humanitarian mission. During this period, more than one million people have found refuge in its facilities; it has provided drinking water for 1.4 million people and food for the entire population; delivered over 10 million medical consultations; and managed the collection of 6,000 tons of waste every month. Today, UNRWA maintains sufficient food stocks in its warehouses in Jordan and Egypt to supply the entire population for three months, along with shelter materials for 1.3 million people.
Once again, UNRWA remains the cornerstone of survival and hope in Gaza.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
John Akomfrah
A pioneering artist and filmmaker, Sir John Akomfrah is known for his multi-layered video installations that merge historical archives, sound, and narrative to explore themes of migration, memory, and environmental fragility. A co-founder of the legendary Black Audio Film Collective, Akomfrah was knighted in 2023 for his contribution to the visual arts. His works have been presented at major institutions including Tate Britain, the Venice Biennale, MoMA, and the Serpentine Galleries.
Julianknxx
Julianknxx is a poet, artist and filmmaker. The polyphonic nature of Julianknxx’s work is indicative of his expansive practice, which is rooted in poetry but extends into performance, film, music and sculpture. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Julianknxx draws on his personal experiences to broaden perspectives on the history and culture of Africa and its diasporas. Inspired by oral history traditions and working with a distinctive aesthetic approach, his films invite us to consider how we construct both local and global narratives, while reflecting on how it feels to exist in liminal spaces.
His work has been shown at galleries and museums worldwide, with his acclaimed first institutional solo show ‘Chorus In Rememory of Flight’ at the Barbican, London (2023), called ‘transcendent and poignant’ by the Evening Standard. Since then, the installation has travelled across Europe with presentations at Centro de Arte Moderno Gulbenkian (CAM), Lisbon (2025), The Model, Ireland (2025), De Singel, Antwerp (2024). Further solo shows include ‘Shifting / Spirit / Time’ at BURO Stedelijk, Amsterdam (2025) and St Mary le Strand, London (2025). Recent group shows include; The 36th Bienal de São Paulo (2025), A World in Common at Tate Modern, London (2023), C/O Berlin (2025), Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam (2024), the Sharjah Biennial 16, Sharjah (2025); Resonance: Black Visual Art & Sonic Chronicles at M.Bassy, Hamburg (2025); Keeping Time at Gallery 1957, Ghana (2024); Rites of Passage at Gagosian, London (2023); and To Be Held at Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate (2023). Previous participations include Whitechapel Gallery Open, London (2022); Nocturnal Creatures at Whitechapel Gallery (2021); Lux at 180 The Strand, London (2021); The View from There at Sadie Coles HQ, London (2021); and more.
THABO
THABO is a musician and interdisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in the BantuTronic philosophy, co-founded with Julianknxx. This philosophy explores and celebrates Bantu culture 500 years into the past and 500 years into the future, offering a world-building framework for immersive and multidimensional storytelling. Over his career, Thabo has transitioned from a dedicated musician to an interdisciplinary creator, collaborating on music, film, installation and performance. Collaborative projects with Julianknxx and Akeelah Bertram have led to presentations at leading institutions such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Leeds Art Gallery, Tate Modern, Barbican, Opera North, 180 Studios, Gulbenkian Foundation, Gagosian Gallery, Stedelijk Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Recent highlights include a Sky Arts-commissioned short film (Finding15) and an immersive performance installation(Dreaming Being) for Light Night Leeds at Howard Assembly Room. Thabo’s evolving body of work continues to delve deeper into the BantuTronic philosophy.
PURPOSE AND VISION
The choice to dedicate this Gala to Palestine and Sudan reflects the shared commitment of TBA21, Sir John Akomfrah, Julianknxx and THABO to addressing urgent global crises through art and cultural engagement. By creating a space for listening, reflection, and solidarity, the event reaffirms the belief that art can be a powerful agent for awareness, empathy, and transformation.
