Collaborators and Participants Needed for Project "Visage."
If you are interested in being part of the project, please reach out to me on instagram at most.average.wish, or directly email me at mostafaxteef@yahoo.com. to link you the instruction.
Read below, after the project description for quick instructions.
The installation project, Visage, in general speaks about us—humanity,and how oppression and the hardship of living day to day, due to many reasons ranging from discrimination to financial struggle (and everything in between), affect us.
I represent, artistically, a form of obscuring humanity to the point of nullifying our identity and our ability to speak or express who we are. I symbolically describe and urge attention to how we can be controlled, oppressed, and diminished from many rights and forms of equality, and how our moral and ethical values are decaying.
This large-scale installation aims to harness the voices of many, and to give a podium to those who are not able, due to whatever reason it may be, to speak and express their concerns, hurdles and struggles, or their wisdom and lived experiences.
In this specific Part of the Installation, Titled Numbness; I record or note words/ sentences of participants, and using braille language as a mediator, I then translate these words into sounds/music through Braille matrix system.
This part of the project explores emotional silence, personal burdens, and the unspoken struggles we carry in this current society.
Samples and words from other Participants:
-I dont want to be. I dont want to be ME
-I administered drugs to my child because I couldnt afford Rehab
-Denounce Violence.
*-*Its much more important to love than be loved
-Know the shit about yourself before judging others
-Live by the conditions of reality, be open to those who are different and embrace others with acceptance.
-I am here, I am listening
-Care and love, purest human cure.
-Hard to be gay in Israel, hard to be gay in America.
-I feel I lost my rights to have a voice
HOW ITS DONE
I meet with people in whatever way they prefer and chat with them for as long as they want. In our conversation, I will ask one main prompt question: “What is bothering you about society nowadays, and what message would you like to leave for others to know?” This is simply a prompt—you can tell me anything you would like. The harder, darker, and heavier the weight, the better, as it is completely anonymous. No names or identities will be released, period.
I take the words you wish to relay and, using a Braille translator as a mediator, translate those words into musical notes. I then compose a song using these matrix dots through music sheets and music theory, while maintaining the words so they remain readable in Braille.
Dear Reader;
I am grateful to the Minnesota State Arts Board for awarding me the Minnesota State Art Grant for Individuals. This grant will support me for a year as I undertake these projects, which will serve as a pivotal step in my career, strengthen my artistic portfolio, and assist in my future applications to graduate school.
I invite anyone interested in contributing to this project to join as a collaborator or participant. My work explores pressing issues that affect us all, particularly in the midst of the challenges we face today. Your collaboration will strengthen my work, as the core purpose of this project is to give voice to the struggles within our society.
I will serve as a voice for those often silenced—whether due to political, societal, gender-related, or other forms of oppression that hinder individuals from fully being themselves.
In an increasingly individualistic world, I ask you to stand with me in fostering a more communal and engaged society—one that brings overlooked issues and misconceptions to light for all to see.
I sincerely thank you and hope you will reach out to be part of this project.
Sincerely,
Mo.
Mostafa Darwish is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
How to be a participant of this project?
If you are based in the U.S., especially in Minnesota, Philadelphia, or anywhere in between (as I am currently traveling), and that you would like to participate/ contribute to the project, then please consider reaching out to me so we can schedule a time to meet in person. The entire process usually takes no more than 15 minutes, though it can be shorter or longer depending on how much you would like to talk. I will meet you wherever is most convenient for you, or wherever we agree upon.
During our time together, we will sit down over coffee or tea, and I will listen to anything you feel like sharing, your story, your thoughts, your message. I will take whatever you choose to express and transform it into a musical composition, shaped by your voice and experience.
To do so, I use braille language as a medium of translating words into a dotted system. From their, I structure the alligned dots in certain way to follow logical music theory, and thus I am able to create a musical composition using words.
Whether it is frustration with society, something personal, or simply a casual conversation to connect, what you share is entirely up to you. But I encourage you: do not stay silent. Your voice matters.
Previous art work samples using Braille as a translator, or other Atypography can be found here:
https://www.mostafadarwishart.com/music-boxes-installation
P.S: If you are unable to meet in person, I am also offering a remote option. Just reach out, and I will send you detailed instructions on how to contribute, from how to take the photos, to uploading them, along with the message you would like to share. We can also meet virtually?
Thank you, sincerely.