PLAySPACE show

I have been working on a project with my friend Dina Danish called "HOWWA WE ANA - HOWEVER WE WANNA." The title works as an example of the show's concerns. "Howwa we ana" is what Dina said when I asked her to say "you and me" in Arabic (of which Dina is a native speaker), but during the course of a phone conversation I misunderstood her (deliberately?) as saying "However we wanna." On top of that, "Howwa we ana" actually translates as "him and me;" a hidden layer of structural misunderstanding or intentional trickery that is central to the creation of the work. The fact that the content of the work escapes the narrow confines of the experimental space and spills out to transform real world conditions is, for me, what makes this an art piece and not just a communication experiment or a game between friends.

I have been describing "howwa we ana - however we wanna" as an exploration of the process of getting to know someone through a series of procedures or games in the mode of SERIOUS PLAY. This is a decent summary, but the meaning of the work is morphing to me as my methodology of making art is challenged by, conflicts with, and is added to by Dina's. I think the project represents a meeting of our two styles in a way that I can be proud of - it was not a gracious agreement, but more like the free competion of our styles in a market of ideas. Or rather like two puppies play-fighting.

I have been completely obsessed and deeply involved in this project, and I would like to share more of our results here as the show approaches.

For now, there is but one tiny placeholder at the website, but more is surely to come as we arrange the publicity materials for the show:
PLAySPACE site