How did this grant contribute to the realization of your project in regard to artistic exchange, local cultural development and/or the promotion of cultural diversity?

The travel grant provided me with a great opportunity to support my development as a young artist. during my one week visit in Warsaw, I tried to attend many exhibitions, museums and did few meetings with art professionals... all of that helped me learn more about local social, culture, environment and political development in Poland.

How does exchange, networking and international contacts contribute to the development of your artistic and cultural project?

Being born and based in Morocco, one can easily see that the community of artists is only active in limited spots all around the country. Those artists have managed to contribute greatly to the cultural scene of Morocco only through travelling constantly abroad and by maintaining relations with partners and institutions from Europe and beyond. It was only because of these established connections that the art scene was able to flourish. Therefore I believe that I can only be part of this through creating my own network of connections while on my travel, and then expanding those relations by keeping regular contact to plan for future collaborations and discussions.

Can you elaborate on the learning and knowledge you have gained and shared throughout this experience?

My projects have always included socio-political discourses that also address issues on a global scale. Therefore, this was a great opportunity to witness events, artistic creations and art professionals who contributed to the first edition of Biennale Warsaw. And one of the important events that I attended was "Transunions" project presented by Jonas Staal, held in Warsaw in late June at Palace of Culture and science, as part of his ongoing project New Unions, a participatory project which focuses on ways of unionizing. The event gathered transnational organizations, parties, civil platforms and activist groups, like: Dounia Kchiere (communications strategist, former United Nations/UNICEF), Diana Arce and Angelo Camufingo (Black Lives Matter Berlin), Andrzej W. Nowak (philosopher, Poznan University), Abderrahim Kassou (Alternatives Forum of Morocco, FMAS); and many others all came together to discuss the meaning of the nation-state; the challenges and gains of transnational organizations today; and the future of a new transnational union… This is one of the experiences that help broaden my horizon and expand my personal scope of the current global and regional socio-political conflicts. and also help to explore and understand the world today and address its contemporary issues by artistic exchange, integration and experimentation.

Please indicate a link to your current work (website/facebook page)

www.soukainajoual.com
www.vimeo.com/soukainajoual
www.instagram.com/soukainajoual