fulana at World Expo, 2025

Working from the Pavilion’s Music Studio, Fulana collaborated with Japanese musician Sy Lokk to produce a new composition. Using field recordings captured throughout the city of Osaka, she layered the everyday sounds of Japan into her sonic palette. The result was a track rooted in place yet reflective of a wider cross-cultural dialogue.

Throughout her residency, Fulana welcomed daily visitors into her creative space to observe her songwriting and recording process firsthand, gaining a rare, behind-the-scenes look at music being made in real time. She also took her sound beyond the studio with three live pop-up performances across the Expo site, engaging new audiences and sharing her work in unexpected public spaces.

The D+DX onsite team supported the residency throughout, ensuring a seamless technical setup and smooth coordination of both studio sessions and live performances, allowing Fulana to focus fully on the creative process.

The residency, Ode to Jahanamiyya, embodied the spirit of cultural exchange, sparking meaningful dialogue between Saudi and Japanese artistic perspectives. The project not only engaged international audiences but also highlighted the rich potential of collaborative creation across borders. Fulana’s residency marked an extraordinary start to the KSA Pavilion’s programme, laying strong foundations for future artistic collaborations throughout the six-month event.