Alluvial is a microfestival of artwork created by the first year M.A. students in the Human Rights & the Arts program at Bard College. The microfestival takes place at various times and locations on campus and in Tivoli on Tuesday, May 9 and Friday, May 12, and includes multidisciplinary works, installations, performances, live art, interactive work, and film. These works in progress are part of the final submission for the Collaborations and Community-based Art course taught by Sabine El Chamaa.
Tuesday, May 9
Bleeding into My Dreams by Ciko Sidzumo
May 9, 10:00 am – 10:45 am @ Skating Garage, behind the Stevenson Athletic Center
Bleeding into My Dreams is a multi-medium short story that follows Onaye, whose menstrual cramps awaken in her the embodiment and inhabitation of uMakhulu (Grandmother). uMakhulu fills her spirit, her breath, her voice, and her body. I invite the audience to help me trace Onaye’s idiosyncratic inheritance that welcomed her to remember. Remember amaphupho kaMakhulu.
Of Rust and Starch by Aya Rebai
May 9, 10:45 am – 11:30 am @ Bard Recycling Field
Of Rust and Starch is an immersive video installation that portrays the relationship between Fridge and Batata, a speculative fiction depicting a non-human bond between two non-sentient beings. This project is an attempt to question the notions of aging and expiration time in the age of mass consumption while speculating about possible links that can take place between objects that are overlooked by humans.
Ten More Minutes by Jina Rishmawi
May 9 3:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ Resnick Studio, Fisher Center
Ten More Minutes sheds light on the immense struggles that Palestinians face when it comes to accessing healthcare due to the Israeli occupation. The story takes us back to May 1st, 2019, when Salma, a 13-year-old girl, and her father were on their way to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. To get there, they had to pass through the 300 Checkpoint that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem, which serves as a crucial component of Israel’s colonial security infrastructure. This checkpoint acts as a barrier erected by Israeli Security, further complicating the already challenging journey for Palestinians seeking medical assistance. As Salma describes the incidents that occurred on their trip, we get a glimpse into the harsh reality of life under occupation. IDs ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE PERFORMANCE SPACE.
Cheap. Suit by Anas Alkhatib
May 9, 4:30 pm – 5:20 pm @ Resnick Studio, Fisher Center
Cheap. Suit s an interactive lecture performance that explores the role of the suits and the human body in narrating the city, spatial environments, and lifestyles. Precisely, it will use the suit as a lens to trace corporate class temporalities and their intertwinement with contemporary capitalist lived experiences.
Waste of Land by Raneem Ayyad
May 9, 5:30 pm – 6:20 pm @ Resnick Studio, Fisher Center
Waste of Land is a live performance that tracks the artist’s attempt to visit a family member’s grave in a cemetery located on the Saudi-Jordanian border. The audience is invited to join the artist in an attempt to locate the lost grave in the desert. The performance examines the relationship between political borders and transnational grave infrastructures. It also addresses the tensions between the dead body and the state.
RiSE. TOP. DOMiNATE. by Immanuel J.
May 9, 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm @ RKC 200
World Light Heavyweight Champion takes on the battle of the year against an old foe! They’ve prepared for this moment all year long. We’ve been patiently waiting. It is all about to explode in a fight that surely will go down in history. Get your tickets! Tune in! Show up to finally see two massive beasts completely obliterate one another. RiSE. TOP. DOMiNATE. is an immersive live performance.
Zhyve Zhyve by Nestor Rotsen
Installation open May 9, 7:10 pm – May 10, 5:00pm @ Outside main entrance to Bertelsmann Campus Center
In 2020, millions of Belarusians took to the streets to protest the electoral fraud that granted dictator Alexander Lukashenko president a sixth term. Since then, thousands of Belarusians have been arrested and tortured, with the Viasna Human Rights Center recognizing almost 1,500 people as political prisoners.It is crucial to understand how circumstances would have been different if in 2020 the war criminal Vladimir Putin did not support the dictator Lukashenko, and missiles could not fly from the territory of Belarus into Ukraine. The installation Zhyve Zhyve reflects on the 2020 events, through textile, and a collection of clothes that conveys to the audience the expressed will of the Belarusian people.