Thursday, February 13, 2024

6:30pm
Doors open

7:00pm
Event begins

with:
Basel Abbas
Ruanne Abou-Rahme
Laura al-Tibi
Amr Amer
Haitham Haddad
Adam HajYahia
Amany Khalifa

Limited capacity

All those who resist,
all those we are indebted to,
before and after us,
call to us
about becoming the negative
(Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme)

"The negative is a space-time of novelty and possibility that they \\\\[Basel and Ruanne\\\\] insist on inhabiting, an experience akin to 'breathing where you should not be able to breath.'"
(Adam HajYahia and Haitham Haddad)

"Palestinians are simultaneously declared nonexistent and yet prohibited from existing. But how can one forbid what supposedly does not exist?"
(Laura al-Tibi and Amr Amer)

"To say \\\\[return\\\\] is unpredictable is not to say that it lacks certainty. On the contrary, we are certain of return even though it defies the logic of power."
(Alia Al-Sabi and Amany Khalifa)

This is a roundtable conversation about negation, refusal, and the inevitability of return.

These exerpts are from four small, perfect-bound books collectively titled "To all those we are indebted to," published by Bilna'es (translates as "In the negative"), an adisciplinary publishing platform and record label founded by Basel, Ruanne, and others, with the aim of supporting artistic communities in Palestine and beyond.

The authors gather to discuss these ideas, followed by live music by Haykal (Amr Amer) as MC and Acamol (Basel Abbas) playing electronic beats.

More information: https://giornopoetrysystems.org/222-bowery/events/bilnaes