This edition of Orbitals took place in Indonesia. The eleven-day trip, from November 5 to 16, 2024, was organized by Krystel Khoury and Felipe Steinberg from Mophradat in collaboration with artist farid rakun (Gudskul). The invited participants were:
Aziz Aissaoui (b. 1993, Tunisia) is an artist and designer, and a member of El Warcha Collectif. His research and creative work delve into the realms of fictional narratives, often inspired by his personal encounters and building processes. Through his interdisciplinary practice, he examines the public sphere from the prism of collectivity and commoning.
Hala Alsadi (b. 1997, Yemen) is a researcher with a background in journalism and media. In her practice, she is interested in exploring archives with a focus lately on music from the Arab world as well as sports.
Rania Atef (b. 1988, Egypt) is a visual artist, and a member of K-oh-llective. In her work, she focuses on forms of labor, care, domesticity, authority, and their intersectional trajectories within social and artistic contexts.
Shayma Nader (b. 1991, Palestine) is an artist, curator, and researcher. Her research looks into anticolonial, anti-disciplinary, and land-centered imaginaries and practices.
During the trip, the group visited art initiatives and met with artists’ communities in Yogyakarta, Jatiwangi, and Jakarta, engaging in conversations around the question of the economy of art, the different ways in which individuals and groups find the means to pursue their artistic and cultural practices, and how that transforms their personal as well as their community’s lives and livelihoods. The participants are currently working on producing a visual and written diary of their trip.
Orbitals is implemented as part of the project “Future Acts,” which is partially supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Germany. Fees and costs associated with all Indonesian local participants, facilitators, and interlocutors during this trip were covered separately by Mophradat’s structural funds.