Losing It
In her performance «Losing It», Palestinian artist Samaa Wakim reflects on the experience of growing up in a conflict zone and how it has impacted her identity. Through movement and sound, she explores how the trauma of previous generations manifests in her own body. In dialogue with a live soundtrack by Samar Haddad King, the performer dives into her memories and balances amidst overlapping, bizarre and distorted realities of life. Out of the necessity to survive, Wakim builds a world of fantasy and humor. Here, sounds that once caused fear and those that provided solace become entangled – to a point where past and present cloud the future.
Arabic text (voiceover) in English translation
حطيت راسي على فراشي سبع صلبان فوق راسي
مد المسيح يمينه تفتحت اناجيله تزعزعت الجبال طلع ثلاث رهبان بطرس وبولس ومار يوحنا المعمدان ... ارحمونا بالليل وبالنهار... يا ربي لا تموتنا لا حريق ولا غريق ولا مشحشط عالطريق.... موتة هنية وقربانة طرية ترحم ميمتي وبيي وكل مين تعب وشقي علي...
I laid myself down to sleep
with seven crucifixes above my head.
Christ stretched out his right hand
to reveal the gospel –
whilst the mountains trembled
and three prophets revealed themselves:
Peter, Paul and John the Baptist.
May they have mercy on us and bless us, day and night.
O Lord let us not die from burning,
nor drowning, nor losing our way.
And a gracious death and a tender sacrifice
for my mother and father
and to all those weary souls, who sacrificed themselves for me…