Arts Lab 6.0: Salma ElGendy - Month 2

The second month started with On-Arrival. To be honest, while I enjoyed some parts of it, it was mostly just exhausting and draining. Probably one of the reasons for that is that we’d had a quite full couple of weeks before it and we were supposed to be having consecutive days off during that period, but we ended up stuck in the On-Arrival. They were also testing this new system I guess, which included assigning homework after our 4-hour sessions, to present the next day. This threw the rest of the day out the window as well. So, yeah, that really wasn’t that great.

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The next part was working on our personal artworks for JEMOM. With time tight and side events filling our schedules, I was a bit worried about my artwork not turning out the way I wanted it to be. However, thankfully it all worked out in the end. I am quite pleased I managed to finish it in a way that satisfies me as the artist. Writing down the concept felt more stressful than creating the artwork itself because I wanted to ensure my stance was unmistakable, leaving no room for misinterpretation or misuse. I hope my thoughts and emotions come through in the piece and in the message I’ve shared, and genuinely wish it stirs others to think about their role in this world. Turning a blind eye is not a neutral stance. Choosing ignorance makes you an accomplice.

During one of our meetings, a discussion came up about how we should seek to understand trauma or try to find peace by examining its roots. But, after witnessing images and videos of a Palestinian refugee camp where civilians, including children, were burned alive by the Israeli occupation the day before, I felt I had to speak out.

Trauma is no excuse for this kind of hell. There is no justification for genocide, and no level of understanding will ever fix it. Should we try to understand their trauma? Who will address ours, then? Who will comfort the traumatized Palestinians who were collateral damage of a trauma they had no part in? Who will heal the shattered hearts of mothers who have lost their children, or the children who saw their mothers’ lifeless bodies, or teenagers who watched friends burn alive, utterly helpless to intervene? Who will comfort the little boy who had to carry the severed remains of his brother in his school bag? Or the father forced to gather his children’s body parts in plastic bags? Who will mend the futures of youth with lives still ahead of them, now scarred, maimed, or orphaned? Entire families have been erased from existence—

Who accounts for that? Who could ever make this right again?

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The exhibition day at the Act House finally arrived. I was nervous at first, but as the day went on, I felt more relaxed. It wasn’t until I fully processed that this was my first exhibition in four years that I started feeling the warmth of being where I was meant to be.

The exhibition itself was incredible. I’m still in awe of everyone’s talent. Seeing all the artworks displayed, with each artist sharing their story, filled me with pride and gratitude to exhibit alongside these remarkable people. One of the highlights for me was the fact that I had witnessed the entire process of this exhibition coming together. Usually, you exhibit alongside artists you barely know or whose names you’ve only heard, but this time, we were all connected. I saw every piece come to life, step by step, even gave and received feedback on my own piece, which gave that much more depth and connection to the experience, and seeing it all completed was truly magical.

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Throughout working on my personal artwork, I got to spend time at the studio, working with clay again, loading and unloading a kiln, and it felt good to be able to do that again after so long. After the exhibition, we had many tasks to be done before the next one, for me, I spent 3 days cleaning the studio and it was really appreciated that many people came to help. I am also almost certain the rooms inside had creatures not yet discovered by science. 

It was extremely exhausting as I was also very sick, however, it was quite satisfying to finally see the studio an actual studio ready to be used properly. I’m looking forward to using the space more comfortably now, I really needed that.

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The Iași Exhibition on November 3rd was a bit of a mixed experience. We started with a series of talks and presentations, which, honestly, felt a bit drawn out. Then came a video call from a participant in the architectural competition who began their intro with “Haifa, Israel” followed by a talk about injustice. Thinking of Palestine while hearing that framing turned my stomach, and I couldn’t bring myself to stay for it. But when we got to the actual exhibition portion, the experience shifted entirely.

We had more visitors than in Târgu Frumos, but not so many that it felt overwhelming—just the right amount for engaging conversations. I enjoyed hearing people’s discussions and reactions to my work and connected with some very interesting individuals. I was especially glad to see them interacting with the question I had posed: “How can we stop this violence?” I’d worried people might be too shy or uninterested to share their thoughts, but they did, leaving comments and reflections. Hearing feedback and seeing others connect with the heart of my work was deeply rewarding.

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I also managed to go back and spend a few days at home with my family, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’d started to feel a bit tense, and those few days away provided the kind of pause I needed. Although I’d been anxious about the trip, as it was my first time traveling entirely alone, I’m relieved it went smoothly. Spending time with family was wonderful, and I only wish it could’ve lasted longer. 

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We just started the MAF Residency a couple of days ago, which has been… challenging, to say the least. Savane and I are doing this residency together, and we’ve decided to create a folklore-inspired board game with the students. The plan is for the board and pieces to be made of clay, while the playing cards will be drawn, painted, and eventually digitized for printing. But between the language barrier and some of the students’ lack of enthusiasm, it hasn’t been as smooth as we’d hoped. The organization hasn’t been great either, which hasn’t helped.

Still, we’re excited about the concept and determined to see it through! We’re hopeful that as some pieces start coming together, the visual appeal might spark more interest among the students. With only five days to complete it, there’s a time crunch, but we’re giving it our best.

While at the school, I also had the chance to attend a metal-welding class, which was really inspiring. The professor was very welcoming, sharing valuable insights about the craft, which I appreciated since I’d love to incorporate welding into my future artworks. I’m hoping for a practical session before we wrap up the residency—it would be an amazing skill to explore further alongside my clay work.

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A new experience this month was holding workshops at a kindergarten, where parents were present as well. Despite our tight schedule, we managed to fit it in. The clay workshop focused on making heart-shaped pieces that the children could decorate as gifts for someone special, and many of them chose to make theirs for their parents, which was so heartwarming.

Having the parents there added a sense of calm to the atmosphere as that made the kids feel safe. They were actively involved, helping their kids bring their ideas to life, and it was touching to see how invested they were in the process. I couldn’t help but think that maybe the parents needed this experience just as much as the children, if not more—a chance to relax, create, and share a peaceful moment. It left me wondering how valuable it could be to offer workshops tailored specifically for parents, giving them an outlet to unwind and explore their own creativity.

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We ended the month with the final JEMOM exhibition at the Moldova School, where we had the opportunity to share the results of our work with the students. I was excited for them to see the finished creation and experience the outcome of their efforts.

We expressed our feelings about the experience, and it was wonderful to hear from the teacher who assisted us, as well as the students who participated. Hearing that they truly enjoyed the process was incredibly touching. The teacher’s heartfelt comment about how through this workshop, she learned new approaches to engaging and interacting with the kids through art made me feel that, in some small way, we had managed to leave a positive mark, even the tiniest print in this world, and that felt profoundly rewarding and heartwarming.

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As for the month overall, there’s been a bit of underlying tension, which has left me feeling off. I don’t enjoy conflict and am trying to navigate through it carefully, but I can’t help feeling a bit drained. I’m really hoping for a positive shift in the days ahead. After all, this experience is important to me, and I’d like to feel more grounded and optimistic moving forward. 

Two months down. Five more to go.

Report written by Salma ElGendy, she's from Egypt and she's one of the 14 volunteers participating in Arts Lab 6.0, a project co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps program.