Talk by Omar Al Sayed: Art as a tool for change
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"When I see artists creating art about a cause, any cause, it gives me a better understanding of their perspective and the issue. It keeps the cause on my mind and emotionally engages me, inspiring me to take action. That is what I want my art to do when people engage with it."
My name is Omar Al Sayed. I was born and raised in Lebanon in a camp for Palestinian refugees before I came to Europe and settled in Denmark.
I am a visual storyteller who uses digital illustrations to tell stories and ask questions that matter.
We live in a burning world, literally and metaphorically. I often ask myself, What can I do? What can I really do that could change something? Often, looking for the answer to this question in the complexity of the situation and the political jargon is not an easy task, and feeling despair will become way easier.
Like any Palestinian around the world, I don't have the luxury of tapping in and out of supporting the Palestinian cause. We are the cause. And that adds a lot of pressure and responsibility, one that pushes me to resist. That is why I use my skills in visual art and storytelling as a way of resistance. I used to believe knowledge is power. But the genocide in Gaza proved this wrong, because the world, or at least those who care, has never been more knowledgeable about the situation. Power is the consistency in resistance, on all levels possible. With a conversation, with a stand, with a poem, song, painting, performance, demonstration, etc., we keep the light of the resistance inside of us glowing. Until the sun shines again on the truth and the imperialist empires crumble to the ground. That is why I keep creating, and how I fight despair.
Time and date: Tuesday, August 25 at 18:00 - 19:30
Place: Volver Kaffe- & Vinbar, Griffenfeldsgade 6, 2200 N
Entrance: 50 DKK - Mobilepay to Building Communities 76972. The funds from entrance are donated to Building Communities' family programme, Salam, for orphans in Gaza, Palestine.
The talk is part of Building Communities’ talk series, which critically examines power dynamics and structural injustices, focusing on collective action as a path forward.
My name is Omar Al Sayed. I was born and raised in Lebanon in a camp for Palestinian refugees before I came to Europe and settled in Denmark.
I am a visual storyteller who uses digital illustrations to tell stories and ask questions that matter.
We live in a burning world, literally and metaphorically. I often ask myself, What can I do? What can I really do that could change something? Often, looking for the answer to this question in the complexity of the situation and the political jargon is not an easy task, and feeling despair will become way easier.
Like any Palestinian around the world, I don't have the luxury of tapping in and out of supporting the Palestinian cause. We are the cause. And that adds a lot of pressure and responsibility, one that pushes me to resist. That is why I use my skills in visual art and storytelling as a way of resistance. I used to believe knowledge is power. But the genocide in Gaza proved this wrong, because the world, or at least those who care, has never been more knowledgeable about the situation. Power is the consistency in resistance, on all levels possible. With a conversation, with a stand, with a poem, song, painting, performance, demonstration, etc., we keep the light of the resistance inside of us glowing. Until the sun shines again on the truth and the imperialist empires crumble to the ground. That is why I keep creating, and how I fight despair.
Time and date: Tuesday, August 25 at 18:00 - 19:30
Place: Volver Kaffe- & Vinbar, Griffenfeldsgade 6, 2200 N
Entrance: 50 DKK - Mobilepay to Building Communities 76972. The funds from entrance are donated to Building Communities' family programme, Salam, for orphans in Gaza, Palestine.
The talk is part of Building Communities’ talk series, which critically examines power dynamics and structural injustices, focusing on collective action as a path forward.
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Where is it happening?
Volver Vinbar, Griffenfeldsgade 6, st th,Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhagen
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherBuilding Communities
