On 27 July 2025, the Jameel Arts Centre will host a free conversation with Jerusalem-based visual artist, educator, writer, and researcher Ahmad Nabil. Moderated by Azim Al Ghussein (Senior Manager of Library and Research), the conversation is the concluding event of the 2024/25 Jameel Library Commission, Fetus Exodus. This project presents a text addressing an imagined fetus (“child of myths”) as it prepares to emerge from its incubation. Through this narrative, the human or semi-human fetus is introduced to mythological thought. The myths explored evoke various mythological structures and origins, particularly those prevalent in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region.
During the conversation, taking place in the Jameel Library from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Ahmad Nabil will revisit the different chapters of Fetus Exodus and offer insights into the commission’s evolution and the myths that inform it. The event will examine the transformative power of myth-making and storytelling and how these practices shape, preserve, and reimagine collective memory. Following the conversation, participants are invited to join a writing workshop inspired by the commission.
About the artist
Ahmad Nabil obtained an MA (Distinction) in Interactive Media, Critical Theory and Practice (2010) and a Ph.D. in Research Architecture from Goldsmiths, University of London (UK). Currently, he is a Professor of Visual Intervention at the Trondheim Academy of Fine Art (KiT) and Faculty of Architecture and Design (AD) at NTNU.
Nabil’s practice engages with Arab and Islamic mythology, the paranormal, and regional folktales. His work explores their ties to land, natural resources, and intangible heritage; he uses these connections to reflect on memory, imagination, and preservation. Through his art and workshops, Nabil actively involves youth and young adults, positioning imagination as a tool for community engagement and cultural continuity.
In 2015, he founded The Fiction Council in Jerusalem, a non-profit organisation dedicated to safeguarding and nurturing the Palestinian-Arab imagination. By studying and reinterpreting mythological and supernatural narratives, The Fiction Council cultivates creativity through public workshops, talks, and presentations. Nabil is also a co-curator at Call & Response, an artist-run sound art project based in London.
To get more information about the conversation with Ahmad Nabil, please visit the official web page of the event.
While at the Jameel Arts Centre, take the opportunity to explore Playscape: I Dreamt of a City Everyone Calls Home, an interactive sculptural playground designed for visitors of all ages. You might also be interested in visiting How to Work Together? by Eltiqa and viewing Samur by Zheng Bo.
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