Fri 16 Oct 13:00-14:00
In venue:
Pervasive Media Studio
And online: Live stream on Youtube.com
This is a free event. Tune in wherever you are, online. If you want to take part in venue you need to book in advance.
In this Lunchtime Talk, British Somali artist, Pervasive Media Studio resident and researcher Fozia Ismail will discuss her work on the multi-sensory installation A Song for the Xeedho - The Knot Makers.
2026 is the UN Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Rangelands cover about half of the world’s land and hold diverse cultural heritages, indigenous knowledge and ways of living that have played an important role in preserving ecosystems.
In this talk Fozia will talk about what the critically endangered Somali nomadic wedding basket tells us about human and non-human knowledge, memory and survival transmitted collectively, across generations through making and song.
About Fozia
Fozia Ismail is British Somali artist and researcher. Central to her practice are objects inherited from her mother’s Somali nomadic roots, vessels, spices, textiles, cassette tapes, and sound recordings that are activated through collective use and transformed into sculptural, time‑based, and archival works foregrounding lineage, care, and shared authorship.
She recently presented A Song for Xeedho - The Knot Makers, a multi-sensory installation of wedding ropes, weavings, and knots as part of the inaugural Backyard Biennale celebrating 125 years of Whitechapel Gallery.