Lesser-Known Stories
Description
Lesser- Known Stories On the Reception of Muslim Culture in Sweden Mosque visit, Art exhibition & Talk. On 24 May 2017, 16.00-20.00 in Botkyrka.
Lesser-Known Stories, her final project for Konstfack’s CuratorLab, at Botkyrka Konsthall, Saima Usman draws on the larger context of both historical and contemporary Muslim cultural and artistic practices in Sweden as an inherent part of European history and identity. The project includes a visit to the Fitjja Mosque, an evening with talks and an art exhibition, culminating in a dinner at the beginning of the holy month, Ramadan.
Due to the immigration crises in Europe, and the current radicalization, encouraging outspoken derogatory attitudes of some people on social media and in public places, Islamophobia has become a fact. And it is increasing day by day throughout western countries. A spate of recent attacks on Mosques in Sweden created an alarming situation and sparked the need to find solutions. The Swedish government has promised to launch efforts to counter Islamophobia. The idea was to educate people about Islam and curb prejudice. What has come of these efforts and where do we stand today?
In our fast-paced, globalized world, social interactions, cultural exchanges, and collaborations are perhaps more crucial than ever. In today’s digital world sometimes we are flooded with different depraved narratives and many adverse commentaries respectively. Meanwhile, some stories like spiritual enlightenment, that lead to the soulful life with amazingly higher energy levels, remain forgotten, unknown, and untold. This curatorial project in Botkyrka Stockholm seeks to unearth some of these stories and help in social, cultural, notional integration and gender equality in democratic societies.
http://botkyrkakonsthall.se/lesser-known-stories-saima-usman/?lang=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq-nxCOXW7M&feature=youtu.be
http://www.konstfack2017.se/cl/saima-usman/
https://soundcloud.com/saima-usman-40577575/saima-usman-interview-by-michele-masucci