The talks, exhibitions, meals, concerts, and readings organized by TEJA and in collaboration with different spaces and institutions are a key element of the experience for the creators participating in the residencies. They also serve as spaces for dialogue, ensuring freedom of expression regarding the conflicts or emergency situations faced by the creators in residence or those affecting the territories they come from.
During the day, we shared work methodologies and research on forced mobility, opening a vital dialogue on hospitality, mental health and care, call for applications communications, visas, and network learning across Europe. To wrap up, we closed the gathering by sharing a meal from Gazzawi Cuisine.
The Ágora Ciudadana por la Cultura Palestina, organized by the Ministry of Culture, brought together artists, activists, and civil society in Madrid to defend cultural rights against genocide and oblivion. Through roundtables, workshops, and dance, the encounter consolidated culture as a tool for memory, resistance, and international solidarity. TEJA actively participated by supporting cultural cooperation and the preservation of the Palestinian people’s identity.
The Open Studio of Palestinian artist Nisreen Tahhan at La Escocesa closed her 2026 emergency residency with an exhibition of her experiments with banana fiber paper and a screening of the documentary “The Afterlife Archive.” The project, created alongside Sofía Lambrou, connects the land of Jericho with her residency space, exploring the territory as a living archive. The day concluded with a Palestinian appetizer prepared by Shaima Hamad, bringing the community together for an evening of memory and activism thanks to the support of the entire collaborative team.
We wrap up an incredible month of processes and cultural immersion. This June, Mohamed Bakri’s residency was fully dedicated to Córdoba and its surroundings: a territory of discovery through art, thought, and heritage.
Presentation of portfolios by Maria Zrieq, Abboud Abu Tair, Nisreen Tahhan, and Mohamed Bakri at the Museo Reina Sofía.
Through photography, both artists explore memory, waiting, and resistance in the face of the colonial transformation of the territory. From June 10th to 30th at La Casa Encendida (Ground Floor and Mezzanine).
An inspiring stop at CA2M, Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, a space where contemporary art feels alive and constantly evolving.
This exhibition project brought together the creative visions of diverse collectives and creators in a conceptually profound initiative. Organized by the Directorate-General for Visual Arts and Contemporary Creation of the Ministry of Culture, the event served as a space for intercultural dialogue, standing out for its deep social reflection and its focus on new visual narratives.
During our time in Barcelona, we attended the activities at Jiser. We discovered Randa Mirza’s “Atlal”, a profound visual reflection on memory in Lebanon, and supported Shaima Hamad at the opening of “Obertures: Aquí i Ara”. Her performance reading, “Swarming Bodies”, beautifully intertwined her family’s beekeeping archives with Palestinian identity and territory.
During our trip to Barcelona, we enjoyed a gathering at La Escocesa, where our residents presented their projects and shared a space for creative dialogue. After touring the center’s facilities, we wrapped up the day strengthening community bonds over a massive paella alongside the network members.
During our time in Barcelona, we visited the exhibition “Prisoners of Love. Until the Sun of Freedom” at MACBA, an ode to the resistance of the Palestinian people that spans nearly two decades of artistic commitment. Through a powerful audiovisual installation centered on the resilience and song of prisoners in the face of dispossession and oppression, the work immersed us in a profound reflection where love and resistance become indistinguishable.
This week, MACBA hosted the portfolio presentations of our current residents! A gathering dedicated to giving visibility to and sharing the research and artistic production processes developed throughout their residencies.
We shared a unique experience with Mohamed Bakri on a walk from the Institute for Postnatural Studies that brought together culture, memory, and Palestinian gastronomy. Accompanied by the traditional “Maqloube,” we walked together through the neighborhood on a journey of art and conceptual storytelling about oblivion.
Last Friday, May 8, our residents visited the Reina Sofía Museum to tour the permanent collection and the new exhibition curated by Manuel Segade on the fourth floor. Through three itineraries exploring affects, fiction, and institutional critique, the group explored a showcase of over 400 works with a strong focus on female artists and previously unseen pieces. We would like to thank Andy Luengo for coordinating this visit and for his excellent guidance throughout the tour.
Casa Árabe welcomed Palestinian photographers Mohammad Bakri and Abboud Abu Tair, along with representatives from TEJA, to visit the facilities and coordinate Bakri’s upcoming residency in Córdoba.
