Author: mara.ahmed

noma sculpture garden

yesterday afternoon at the sculpture garden, new orleans museum of art: ‘the twelve-acre sculpture garden at NOMA is one of the most important sculpture installations in the united states, with over 90 sculptures situated on a beautifully landscaped site among meandering footpaths, reflecting lagoons, spanish moss-laden 200-year-old live oaks, mature pines, magnolias, camellias, and pedestrian bridges.’ the sculptures mesh beautifully with their environment and the moss-covered oaks seem ghostly, dream-like, unreal.

palestine solidarity in nola

yesterday brunch at satsuma cafe on dauphine street and a walk around the neighborhood where i found a beautiful palestinian flag. knocked at the door to thank the homeowner and met mark, a retired lawyer, who feels enraged by the genocide going on in gaza and wants to make his solidarity public. we talked for a while and he gave me his card: “u have a friend in new orleans now”

more nola

more nola – waited in line for 30-40 min for beignets from cafe du monde yesterday. walked all over the french quarter, easy access from franklin ave where we are based. bought some local art from an artists’ co-op and postcards at the french market. love the unapologetically vibrant colors here.

a trip to the kolaj institute

today i got to meet madera rogers-henry of the recycle project and ric kasini kadour of the kolaj institute – a side of new orleans, its art scene, and people i’d love to learn more about. yummy brunch at who dat coffee and fabulous dinner at N7. drove to riverbend (violet) and passed thru this pecan tree tunnel. this morning we saw wonderful views of the city from crescent park. nola has such a chill, artsy vibe. but u know what truly aligned things for me in a big way? the free palestine graffiti i found all over the city. i’d love to create art here!

A Thin Wall in Ahmedabad, India

Screenings of A Thin Wall are coming up in Ahmedabad, India! Pls attend if you are in the area. Repost from @arthshila_ahmedabad:

Arthshila Ahmedabad’s Film Showcase this week features A Thin Wall by Mara Ahmed

A Thin Wall is a documentary about memory, reconciliation, and the Partition of India. It focuses on a unique event but derives lessons that remain urgently relevant today.

23 Feb 2024 | 5:30 pm
24 – 25 Feb 2024 | 11:30 am

Venue: Arthshila Ahmedabad, 2-G, opposite Ahmedabad Management Association, Panjrapol, Ambawadi – 380015

A Thin Wall in Islamabad

Ready for a post screening discussion and Q&A this morning at 8:30am, following a screening of A Thin Wall at @theblackholeislamabad where it was 6:30pm. Great convo with Osama Malik, who made this event happen, followed by brilliant questions from the audience. They had to do with nation states, porous borders, the imagining of alternative futures, and my own personal views about the partition. TBH is a non-profit that strives to be an open-to-all educational and cultural space in Islamabad. Such a pleasure to connect with incredible people and places in Pakistan

Forgot to take a screenshot when on Zoom, but here is the YouTube video

Check out the stunning chalk art in Islamabad

Support Nadine’s GoFundMe

As we watch daily war crimes unfold in Gaza, it’s sometimes hard not to feel helpless – not to be able to stop the atrocities or help people on the ground in a direct way. Here is one such opportunity. I have been posting poems by Palestinian poets every other day since December. One of those beautiful poems, Whispers of Resistance, was written by Gaza poet and writer Nadine Murtaja when she was 18 years old. It was read by my friend Zoe Lawlor. Nadine is 20 years old now. She was studying at the school of dental medicine in Gaza when everything turned to dust last October. She wants desperately to leave Gaza and continue her studies in Egypt. She has put together this gofundme campaign while living in hell and under constant attack. Pls consider donating anything you can and share widely. It’s a way to intercede directly, assure her safety, and make her dreams come true.

Here is the link.

[This is the picture Nadine sent me for the poetry archive, before Gaza was decimated by the Israeli army and its mercenaries]