Machi Mashy: Or, in other words “Not Working”

2021 - 2022/ Publication
In collaboration with Engy Mohsen

Machi Mashy: Or in other words “Not Working” focuses on the use of language, dialects and colloquialism as a medium and the subject matter. Despite their differences, Arabic dialects essentially grew from the same soil, Classical Arabic, yet each dialect can sound as foreign as another language altogether to an untrained ear. And so, a bridge can be created to enable a cross-dialogue between artists (and other speakers) from Arabic-speaking lands.

When put in situations that require us to talk about our work, we would usually shift between Arabic and English/French when it comes to specific terminology (Art Speak). That is not because the Arabic language lacks this terminology in any way, quite the contrary. It is because our occupied tongues are not exposed to those terms in Arabic as much, and so they’re not as easily exchanged and circulated in casual conversations with our peers. 

For its first iteration, Machi Mashy was exhibited as part of “But these forms need to be created”, at Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah (PA), curated by Adele Jarrar. The work includes a selection of terms related to individuals who engage in collaborative art practices. Departing from “Art-Work”, words in Classical Arabic are dissected then their derivatives are reexamined through three dialects; Moroccan, Egyptian, and Palestinian. Parallel to this, Mohamed Abdelkarim reflects on the linguistic perceptions between “The Institution” and “The Intellectual” in the political/cultural field. Design by Mooni Studio.

The project is supported by Mophradat and AFAC. The exhibition at KSCC is supported by A.M. Qattan Foundation. Photo credits: Tamara Saif.