Arts Lab 7.0: Marah Isnaf | Month VI

This month felt intense, beautiful, and honestly very awakening for me.

We first went to Bucharest for the MTE meeting, and it was really amazing. I didn’t realize how much I missed having my own space within a bigger network and meeting new people. I connected with so many beautiful souls there. Being in that environment made me feel something I hadn’t felt in a while - I felt myself again. I noticed how I usually behave, think, and express myself as an individual when I am surrounded by open, inspiring people. It reminded me of parts of me that I sometimes forget when I stay too long in one rhythm.

After that, we went to Budapest, and honestly it was magical. I have never been somewhere that felt that beautiful and alive. From the food, to the clubs, to the spiritual atmosphere, to the random connections with people - everything felt open and flowing. The energy of the city felt like it was constantly receiving and giving at the same time. It made me feel free, inspired, and expansive. Once again, I felt that small feeling of missing this kind of freedom - both inside myself and in the environment around me.

When we came back, the rhythm shifted again but in a good way. The French Institute visited to see our Rroma exhibition, which was really nice. We also did activities with them and the theater forum with kids, and it was fun and engaging. I was personally very happy to meet one of the guests who is Moroccan/French and very active regarding Palestine. I was curious and interested to talk with him about it, and it felt meaningful to have that kind of exchange.

They later invited us for lunch, which was delicious, and we also participated in a discussion in collaboration with a vegan restaurant. The talk was really good, and I genuinely enjoyed it. The owner mentioned that she is interested in organizing a Palestinian activist day and similar events in the future, which made me feel hopeful.

We also had a full guided tour at the Cucuteni Museum with a professor, which helped us understand more deeply the history and symbolism of the culture. Later we visited the Contemporary Art Museum, where many Romanian artists presented their work. There were performances, art, music, and of course food, and the atmosphere was vibrant and inspiring.

During this period, we also met as a team to talk more about the Emotions program. Each of us chose an emotion that we want to explore and develop into a project. My emotion is shame, and I am planning to create a five-day retreat around this theme, exploring how shame shows up in our lives and how we can work with it in a more conscious and healing way.

We also had a Ramadan night, where we all gathered, ate together, and decorated the house. It was really warm and beautiful to share this moment as a group, creating a sense of community and celebration.

We continued working on our Cucuteni personal artworks, and we also had a Spanish Cultural Night, which was lovely and chill, something I really appreciated. The French Cultural Night was also nice and warm.

We attended the Mărțișor Event at Ion Creangă School, which added another cultural moment to the month. Today we also held another Rroma exhibition, which felt good to share again with others.

In the evening we had a Czech Cultural Event, which was lovely. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the food was delicious.

Another highlight of this period was our Cucuteni exhibition. I really loved working on this museum project because I allowed myself to experiment and try something different. I wanted to paint what I feel and represent it through Cucuteni symbolism - especially the medicine woman, the balance between dark and light, and the idea of “as above, so below.”

For the exhibition, I also dressed up as the Earth blesser and drew symbols on the youths’ faces with glitter as a symbolic blessing from the earth. It felt playful, ritualistic, and connected to my artistic and spiritual side.

Overall, this month felt like movement between different worlds - connection and inspiration in Bucharest and Budapest, and then grounding and creation back in the residency. I experienced freedom, creativity, reflection, and community all at the same time. It reminded me that I need both exploration and rootedness, and that this journey is helping me understand that balance more deeply.

This monthly report was written by Marah Isnaf, our Palestinian volunteer taking part in a seven-month Arts Lab 7.0 mobility, co-funded by the European Union under the European Solidarity Corps.