Audiences Reflect: ART IS...AWAKENING
"Their stories were different than the ones we were told about people who have roots in Somalia, Syria and Palestine"
ART IS... Awakening, was a TPT event curated by Hend Al-Mansour with performances by Ifrah Mansour, Essma Imady, and Leila Awadallah. Al-Mansour reflects on the powerful performances of each of the artists during the event.
Through movement of the body, sound and image, and memory, Ifrah Mansour, Essma Imady, and Leila Awadallah, each took us on a journey telling her story. Their stories were different than the ones we were told about people who have roots in Somalia, Syria and Palestine. They were stories of the displaced, who wanted to belong but also needed to not forget. They were difficult stories, eager to be listened to and validated. Leila, Essma, and Ifrah were up to the challenge in engaging that audience. They had intensified that night by moving across the stage from extreme left to extreme right and from most dynamic gestures to infinite stillness.
I am honored and delighted that TPT chose me to select artists from my community. To be recognized as an established Twin Cities artist is new to me and just makes me so gratified. It was an exciting journey to find those blossoming three artists who electrified my world for a whole year. Oh, and I think I did a good job.
– Hend al-Mansour, Lead Artist for TPT’s ART IS…Awakening
