Talk Decolonize Your Ears x Yállá Táwlá SWANA Love Songs

Backgammon and Beats: A participatory gathering format by cleo

When:
Fri, July 31, 2026, 5pm–10pm

Free admission

Duration:
approx. 5 hours

Meeting point:
Garden

What else:

Choose a chair in the garden or a spot on the lawn.

If the weather is good, the event will take place in the garden, where garden chairs are available. Access (not wheelchair-accessible) is via the main entrance of the Lenbachhaus; turn right past the ticket booths and go down the stairs from the door.

For wheelchair-accessible access to the garden, enter through the gate on Luisenstraße. Our security staff will be happy to open the gate for you; you can reach our staff at +49 89 233 66300. There are gravel paths in the garden.
In case of bad weather, the event will take place in the foyer of the Lenbachhaus. The main entrance is wheelchair-accessible.

More information: https://www.lenbachhaus.de/besuchen/barrierefreiheit

When:
Fri, July 31, 2026, 5pm–10pm

Free admission

Duration:
approx. 5 hours

Meeting point:
Garden

What else:

Choose a chair in the garden or a spot on the lawn.

If the weather is good, the event will take place in the garden, where garden chairs are available. Access (not wheelchair-accessible) is via the main entrance of the Lenbachhaus; turn right past the ticket booths and go down the stairs from the door.

For wheelchair-accessible access to the garden, enter through the gate on Luisenstraße. Our security staff will be happy to open the gate for you; you can reach our staff at +49 89 233 66300. There are gravel paths in the garden.
In case of bad weather, the event will take place in the foyer of the Lenbachhaus. The main entrance is wheelchair-accessible.

More information: https://www.lenbachhaus.de/besuchen/barrierefreiheit

Decolonize Your Ears x Yállá Táwlá SWANA Love Songs

What does love mean when it sounds like Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, or Nubian? We’ll explore this question during an evening of tea, backgammon, and music from the SWANA region.
This time, Decolonize Your Ears focuses on the love song as an art form: DJs and sound designers from the cleo collective curate a journey through musical worlds rarely heard in the Western canon. Complemented by sound collages and poetry, a sonic space emerges that invites reflection, discussion, and empathy.
Meanwhile, the dice are rolling at Yállá Táwlá: The format emerged from a community project and playfully invites people to connect with one another. Táwlá is played wherever people gather: in coffeehouses, public spaces, and bars. It embodies the interplay of skill and chance. To win, players must take risks, accept setbacks, and constantly reorient themselves. In this way, the game becomes a metaphor for social coexistence: open, unpredictable, and characterized by mutual learning and respect. It is not uncommon for Táwlá to turn strangers into friends.

cleo is a Munich-based collective that uses artistic interventions to promote a pluralistic, solidarity-based urban society. Its goal is to build bridges and create spaces where participation is actively practiced and a sense of belonging is collectively negotiated. At the same time, we aim to provide a platform for artists who receive less visibility due to structural barriers and to bring their work to the forefront of urban cultural life.

Supported by the City of Munich, Department of Culture

In the context of the exhibition