A sneak peak at conversations coming up this October in conjunction with the exhibition, Like a Bird’s Nest. Check back for additional details or join the FENTSTER newsletter list to be notified of updates.
The Days Before, The Days After & The Days Ahead
Monday, October 5 | 7 PM
Location TBA
A conversation and community dialogue with artists Lea Mauas and Diego Rotman and researcher Bashar Al Shawwa. More details coming soon.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Learn more about the artists here
Bashar Alshawwa is a Palestinian Nakba refugee with family roots in Gaza, born outside Palestine, who returned to Palestine following the Oslo Accords. In 2014, he was severely injured by an Israeli sniper while participating in a peaceful protest, has lost dozens of family members, friends, and colleagues as a result of the war, and has advocated for non-violent activism since 2017. He is a distinguished researcher and expert in regional and international political affairs, specializing in conflict resolution, sustainable development, and advocacy, with extensive experience analyzing Palestinian and Israeli internal affairs. Bashar is a proficient analyst and advocate for joint efforts in regional peace making and leads efforts to build resilience against all forms of hate, including anti Palestinian, anti Muslim, and anti Jewish hate, strengthen community resilience to polarization linked to Middle East conflicts, and foster inter community dialogue and multi community alliances across the diaspora.
Online Conversation with writer Riwaa Abuquta
Tuesday, October 20 | Noon EDT
Riwaa Abuquta is a young writer, educator and storyteller from Rafah, Gaza. For the last year, she has been working with artists from the Sala-Manca Group. They connected after Abuquta formed a relationship via social media with “Officer Az-oolay,” a performative activist clown who attends public demonstrations in Jerusalem to deescalate tensions using humour and absurdity. Their friendship was the basis for an installation in an exhibition organized by Sala-Manca earlier this year.
Riwaa Abuquta
In keeping with the themes of shelter, displacement, and the meaning of home in our exhibition, Like a Bird’s Nest, Riwaa Abuquta will speak about her family’s current living circumstances, residing together in a tent in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, after being forced to leave their home in Rafah in May 2024. Months later, the family learned that their home had been destroyed. Abuquta’s sister Lulu, who has cerebral palsy, urgently needs a medical evacuation and specialized care that has been delayed for more than two years. Their tent is overcrowded, fragile, and offers little protection from the cold, rain, and wind. Abuquta will also share how she continues to write and create during this time of great difficulty and danger to share her story broadly, aiming to keep human connection alive across borders.