Afghan women. It’s like you're giving a hug through the the screen, a breath of hope. So they know that what they're thinking or dreaming of is actually happening in other parts of the world and can be attained, and that they don't have to buy the narrative of their oppression. Bette A: I’m also learning a lot. I thought it would be hard but it's an raising their voice outside of the house, for gathering. We were having a conversation about it and some people said, “It’s hopeless. There’s nothing we can do.” And Somaia said, “There is something you can do. You can interact with them. They're not dead. They're online. You can teach them and you can have meaningful moments. And maybe that won’t lead to gender equality in Afghanistan, or maybe it won’t liberate them, but we forget that the moment also counts.” So we did this beautiful exhibition with art school students in Amsterdam who went into a digital exchange with the women in Afghanistan to create the exhibition together. Again people said, “But what will this achieve? This won’t get rid of the Taliban." No, but it was an amazing experience for everyone involved. And some of the Afghan women said, “We wouldn’t survive without art, it keeps us afloat.” Again, this appreciation of not result-oriented things, but things that are in the here and now, they also have value. Just a nice talk with somebody, laughing with your neighbor, it is an actual thing. Birdy: Yes! And you never know how you’re going to affect someone. A simple smile or a wave has made me nearly burst into tears of relief on a hard day. We have these grand notions of wanting to make a huge changes, especially as creatives. But like you said, it’s the small shifts that often have the most impact. Bette A: Yeah, I think so. And we do see results in the sense that these women are seeking out these things because they are developing themselves and they’re in ongoing resistance. I think this corporate way of always looking at — What will be the outcome? How can we scale it up? — is something that has infected all of us. Like you said, a meaningful moment can be huge and you cannot always see the outcome. About 20 years ago, I was standing outside at a red light and it started raining really hard, that rain where immediately your underwear is soaked. And then I looked at this man who was standing next to me who was holding a suitcase on his way to work. And we just started laughing together, just at at the weirdness of the moment of both of us getting soaked to the bone. I think about this moment a lot. What did it achieve? What does it mean? What it's about? I don't know. But it I still think about it. Birdy: I love that glimmer of humanity. And what you’re doing with the enrichment of my life. The students are of such a high level. Nobody has their camera on, they're all anonymous. I just pictured my regular 20-yearold students and then after I got to know them, it turned out that one is in her late 30s and a master chess player who use to be a math teacher. So I thought, Oh, that's why I don't feel like I'm teaching. I feel we’re just working together because they're so talented. And I'm learning about the use and power of art through it, how we can connect. An Afghan fairy tale can form a bridge between different worlds. How can you ever plan for that? The person who came up with it likely didn't think, Oh, 300 years from now this is going to … That's how we make art. We don't know. We make it because we like it. And maybe other people will like it. And maybe 20 years from now, people will still like it. Or maybe it's just your grandma who likes it, or pretends to like it. Birdy: It's like Nietzsche’s quote: "Art is the proper task of life.” I'm under the impression that everybody is an artist. Bette A: Beautiful. Birdy: I think it's innately human. It's a birthright. It's ancient. It's tied into our DNA. But people will say, "No, I'm not an artist." My siblings and I are very creative. But my parents claim not to be artists. But my dad would write random poetry, or strum a guitar, or my mom would take us on these creative adventures or give us prompts for writing. They are artists! They don't see it. And it actually breaks my heart. It's important for us to explore our innate creativity, and also to not compare ourselves to others’ art. And that's what I get from your project.
24 Publizr Home