SIMIYYA is a platform for research, cultural production, and experimentation through thought forms and aesthetics. The platform operates through the formation of production-oriented research units and artistic formats. We engage the questions of technology and science, as it applies to both local and global political landscapes with a particular focus on the SWANA-region. Nomadic in context and symbiotic in structure, Simiyya embarks on a long-term commitment to spectral knowledge production and transdisciplinary artistic practices.
Our core activities include hosting interdisciplinary events, workshops, and screenings; supporting and commissioning research and artistic projects; providing a digital space for the exchange of ideas; and establishing symbiotic partnerships with like-minded organizations, initiatives and individuals.
SIMIYYA is built to play a connective role in consolidating the platform model of cultural practice as it enables individuals and groups in diasporic contexts. Questions concerning the treacherous conditions of labor and migration that face many diasporic cultural and political practitioners are of core significance.
SIMIYYA is conceived as a connective tissue, reinforcing the platform model of cultural practice by not only empowering individuals and collectives within diasporic contexts but also by conducting research and experiments in the infrastructural, technical, and cultural dynamics of the platform model. This endeavor aims to cultivate an ecosystem that thrives independently of the Eurocentric modus operandi – a space open for alien infestation of thought and practice as the state of affairs. Through this, we support and commission research and artistic ventures, curate a digital agora suitable for ideas mutations, and forge symbiotic alliances with entities of shared vision and purpose.
The Nordic Cultural Foundation Globus funds the first year of SIMIYYA's operations with additional funding from Swedish Arts Council and the Danish Arts Council. Simiyya is initiated by Mostafa El Baroody, Assem Hendawi, and Mandus Ridefelt.
