Rumi the outsider

After ‘Rumi Passion’, composer Osama Abdulrasol continues his research into the contemporary resonance of the work of the medieval Sufi mystic Rumi. In this swirling music theater performance, music, dance, and AI-generated video images merge into a sensory and immersive experience. Rumi’s life and work are characterized by his spiritual search for meaning. His words move between loss and ecstasy, between tradition and renewal. That tension forms the beating heart of ‘Rumi the Outsider’. The performance follows the trail of a thinker who did not choose resignation, but the restlessness of searching. Central is the perspective of the outsider: the one who moves between worlds, who does not quite belong anywhere, but precisely because of that can make new connections. In a time of growing polarization, ‘Rumi the Outsider’ invites the audience to share that view. With hypnotic sounds, poetic images, and expressive dance, ‘Rumi the Outsider’ brings a contemporary ode to Rumi’s timeless philosophy: that the search, however lonely at times, can open a path to a deeper encounter with the other. Performers: Osama Abdulrasol — composition, qanun, oud, guqin Shahab Azinmehr — setar, vocals Pelin Başar — ney, vocals Damla Aydin — cello, vocals François Taillefer — multi-percussion, vocals Thomas Bellinck — direction Nil Görkem — dance Valeria Saija — dance