Halaqat - Exploring cultural links between Europe and the Arab world
In the framework of Halaqat, the Goethe-Institut and Beursschouwburg present the performance "Language: no broblem" by Marah Haj in Brussels. The artist took part in 2022 in the Halaqat Performing Arts Residency organised with Bozar at La Bellone and Théâtre Marni together with the curator and dramaturge Nedjma Hadj Benchelabi.
Balancing on a tightrope between (im)possible translations:
Based on self-made recordings in Palestine, this work attempts to spatially represent different voices in the form of conversations in Palestinian Arabic colloquialisms, which are about language itself. In doing so, Marah Haj Hussein balances on a tightrope between (im)possible translations from one reality to another. How does one's relationship to one's mother tongue change when one begins to master other languages? What power dynamics arise when speaking more than one language? The research departs from having to define a mother tongue in both local and immigration settings. It looks at the intersectional stratification, relativity and constantly evolving reality of a language through its wit, power, tension and imagination. Giving voice to spoken Palestinian Arabic, Hebrew, Dutch and English,
Language: no broblem aims to explore the role of language in our understanding of borders and displacement through personal narratives.
MARAH HAJ (born 1998) is a Palestinian dancer and maker from Kofor Yassif. She lives in Antwerp where she graduated from the Bachelor of Dance at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in 2021. In June 2023, she completed her master's degree in Drama at KASK in Ghent. In her own work, she is concerned with the concept of the mother tongue and investigates the power dynamics between languages, which resulted in:
Kilma Hilwa & Zayt Zaitoun (2021),
In Exile (2022) and
Language: no problem (2023). In addition to her own work, she can be seen in
Another Sacre, co-produced by Alain Platel & Bérengère Bodin and
TH LNG GDBY by Tuur Marinus.
Concept and acting - Marah Haj Hussein
Sound design - Anton Lambert
Lyrics - Marah Haj Hussein
Translation - Marah Haj Hussein
Assistance subtitles - Krystel Khoury
Image - Giada Cicchetti
Many thanks to - Krystel Khoury, Thomas Bellinck, Koen Haagdorens and hetpaleis, Shamisa Debroey and DE SINGEL, Cees Vossen and Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre, deFENIKS - WALPURGIS, arts centre BUDA, Nedjma Hadj Benchelabi and Halaqat, and workspacebrussels.
In collaboration with Ad’Hoc Platform, Bozar, La Bellone, Théâtre Marni, Studio 8 (2022) and Beursschouwburg (2023).
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