Arts Lab 6.0: Ziad Ameen - Month 4

Here we are in the fourth month! I don’t know how we reached this period so fast, but based on the experience of the previous generation, the next months will pass even faster—and I can really feel it.

This month was very special to me. Even though I had low motivation and felt tired at times, I still had great moments. 

Let’s start with our MAF exhibition at the library in Târgu Frumos. It was really nice to have some kids visit the exhibition and engage with our interactive parts. They especially enjoyed the face-drawing activity featuring Romanian legends. A few days later, we had another exhibition at Negru Café in Iași. I really liked this experience, even though we had only a few guests, I’m sure it was just the beginning. If we organize more exhibitions there, they will gain more visibility and attract young people who can engage with the topics of our projects.

During the exhibition at Negru, my colleagues and I went to get our residence permits, and I was so glad that I received mine just two days before my trip to Greece.

The night before my trip, we had our Secret Santa gift exchange. I was a Secret Santa for Savane, and I found out that Salma was my Secret Santa. Her gift was very special to me, it was a 3D puzzle of an owl.

My trip to Greece started with a bit of adrenaline because my bus was delayed for about an hour due to the Christmas rush. I was stressed, worrying that I might miss my flight, but luckily, the bus arrived at the airport in time, and my adventure began. Visiting Greece has been one of my dreams for a long time. Ever since I studied history in high school, I have been fascinated by Greek history and culture. The highlight of my trip was visiting the Parthenon in Athens and sketching it.

My original plan was to return to Bucharest after my trip and stay there to celebrate the New Year. However, I was so exhausted upon arriving in Romania that I decided to go back to Târgu Frumos instead. I went out with Sinem and Saleh to see the New Year’s celebration in the city center, and it was amazing! The fireworks were well-organized, and we were pleasantly surprised by how lively the celebration was, we had expected something much quieter compared to big cities. It was a beautiful moment to start the new year with enthusiasm.

Next, Sona’s mother arrived at our house, and they started preparing for the Armenian night. It was a truly lovely evening and a great opportunity to learn more about Armenian traditions and culture.

This month, we also started learning about Rroma culture and history to prepare for our artwork and residency. As I explored their history and music, I realized how rich Rroma culture is, it brings joy both through music and visually, with its vibrant and colorful outfits. My artwork will focus on creating a visualization of a cultural space in the Cucuteni area to showcase Rroma culture to all people in Romania. The goal is to send a message against discrimination and to promote diversity and acceptance. I look forward to getting more involved with the Rroma community and reflecting on this experience in my artwork. I’m also very excited to work on the alternative Cucuteni Museum and explore more about the Cucuteni civilization.

See you next month with new experiences and events!

Report by  Ziad Ameen, a volunteer from Egypt and one of the 14 participants in Arts Lab 6.0, a project co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps program.