“It’s a pleasure to be here,” artist Nida Sinnokrot said quietly, before pausing. “‘Pleasure’ is not the right word—it’s good to be here, in company. We thank you for your solidarity, your shared sense of urgency, and for organizing this March Meeting that celebrates resilient community practices rooted in preservation and care.”
Along with his partner, Sahar Qawasini, Sinnokrot was here to discuss their art and ecology initiative, Sakiya, which is located on a rewilded hillside in the West Bank outside Ramallah. But “here” was not Palestine. In the presence of many of its leading cultural figures, we were in a small auditorium in a former boy’s elementary school in the emirate of Sharjah, in the home of The Africa Institute, where the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) was holding its annual March Meeting 2024 symposium (March 1–3) titled “Tawashujat,” the Arabic word meaning “intertwining, coming together, or the meeting of thoughts and ideas.” It
