rihla @ wanderworks – stories from palestine and syria
Three months before 7 October 2023 the young poet Ahmed Saleh fled from Gaza. He ended up in Belgium and applied for asylum, which was recently granted to him. He writes and works at Passa Porta, and compiled RIHLA (Arabic for “journey”), a literary program that premiered in Brussels. The second edition will be hosted by Wanderworks in Antwerp, with writers Wadah Abu Jame and Anas Younes, musician Husein Abu Shammala and visual artist Hussein Shamiya.
Prix
Réduction
Langue
journey
RIHLA is an artistic project that seeks to explore and analyze the experiences of exile and complex identities. It is a deeply human journey through continents and experiences, transcending borders in more than one way Ahmed Saleh invites two authors and a musician who express in their work how their lives have been impacted and transformed by having left their home. The stories and artworks have also been collected in a magazine, which will be for sale during the event.
second edition
The first edition of RIHLA took place in Brussels, and for this second performance – with a completely new line-up – we visit Antwerp. RIHLA is an ambitious project bringing together literature, music, performance and visual arts in different cities. In Antwerp you will be able to visit from 3 pm an exhibition by visual artist Hussein Shamiya (Palestine), at Wanderworks on the rooftops of PAKT. In the evening writers Anas Younes (Syria) and Wadah Abu Jame (Palestine) will read from their work and the Palestinian musician Husein Abu Shammala will perform for us. Moderator Maisa Mansour will chair a conversation with the artists.There will be simultaneous translation into English by Ghassan Bardiwil.
collaboration
RIHLA invites you to engage with questions that have no easy answers, to join the paths taken by writers and artists and share ideas of diaspora, origins and identity. It is a collaborative creative exchange among artists and audience that moves beyond the traditional definitions of “borders” and that makes every participant a partaker in personal and collective narratives.
about the curator
Ahmed Saleh is a Palestinian writer, poet, and activist from Gaza, currently based in Brussels. He studied political science and business administration and writes at the intersection of literature, politics, identity, and memory, with a particular focus on the experiences of displacement and alienation drawn from his personal journey through exile and life under siege. He has obtained numerous artistic residencies as a writer, participated in many literary evenings and festivals, and worked as an activist with cultural and human-rights institutions. He has contributed critical and contemplative essays exploring the political and psychological complexities of refuge. His first poetry collection, has been published and he is working on the second.
about the artists
Anas Younes is a Syrian theatre practitioner, facilitator, and cultural activist whose work spans performance, education, community organizing, and cultural policy, based in Groningen, Netherlands. With academic foundations in drama, literature, theatre studies, and cultural management, his interdisciplinary practice is rooted in civil society engagement and artistic resistance. Through his work with NGOs, theatre companies, and cultural networks across Lebanon, Syria, and Europe, Anas has championed socially engaged theatre and participatory performance methodologies. He utilizes drama as a tool for empowerment, dialogue, and advocacy, especially for marginalized communities.
Wadah Abu Jame is a Palestinian poet and essayist from Gaza, currently based in Brussels. He studied law at Palestine University and regularly writes for literary and cultural supplements. He has published a poetry collection titled “A World Injected with Botox.”
Hussein Shamiya is a Palestinian visual artist from the Gaza Strip, currently based in Brussels. His work ranges between realism and abstraction, exploring themes of pain, displacement, and identity. Through his paintings and drawings, he sheds light on the challenges faced by people in their daily realities. With each artwork, Hussein seeks to open new horizons for reflecting on the human experience, transforming every canvas into a living story that resonates deeply with audiences everywhere. Hussein Shamiya’s participation in Rihla was facilitated by Globe Aroma.
Husein Abu Shammala is a Palestinian musician and band manager from Gaza, currently based in Brussels. He has extensive experience in leading musical bands and organizing live performances, and has also worked as a music teacher and conducted music workshops.
about the moderator
Maisa Mansour is a Palestinian writer, journalist, and researcher from Upper Galilee, currently based in Belgium. She holds a Master’s degree in Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies.
about the translator
Ghassan Bardawil is a Palestinian cultural worker and artist based in Brussels.
He has organized and produced numerous cultural events. He is an experienced on-stage translator (Arabic–English), moderator, and event coordinator, with a focus on projects that explore the intersections of art, identity, and resistance—particularly within Palestinian cultural contexts.
Nos partenaires pour cet événement
Bientôt à Passa Porta
