Yusser al Obaidi

⋆⭒˚.⋆ complex n funny ⋆⭒˚.⋆

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁 The Opening of het Het Aanslag Loket: and what an evening it was: a space filled with all these beautiful people, energies, communities and vibes. All together in our garage in Rotterdam Noord. With a witty opening speech by our moezeum director, vulnerable words by our city poet Benzo Karim, Growing Pains with their Frisse Start stunning newspaper, bringing up honest and straightforward contributions. And who will ever forget purple blue tax sandwiches of Sara Saar. With the moving tunes of Iraqiromancequeen and that unexpected, enchanting voice of the neighbor upstairs. And of course, the stars of the night: Yusser and the amazing participants Assata’s People Program, Tega Brain & Sam Lavigne, Nadim Choufi, Çağlar Köseoğlu, Santiago Pinyop and Nadine Stijns that made this challenging exhibition possible. With a special shout out to our (a)wake team: powerhouses Kim and Chaimae, and her support Khyra, Salma and unexpected force Ann. With pictures of the beautiful Romy Zhang (@romyzhang ) 𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁 [𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿] 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗮’𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, 𝗧𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝗦𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗳𝗶, 𝗖̧𝗮𝗴̆𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗞𝗼̈𝘀𝗲𝗼𝗴̆𝗹𝘂, 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗹, 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗷𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗲𝘇𝗲𝘂𝗺 + 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 - 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆  𝟭𝟰.𝟬𝟬-𝟮𝟮.𝟬𝟬 𝗩𝗶𝗷𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗳𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝟵 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗬𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗯𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗶. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟴:𝟯𝟬. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝘅-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗮’𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, 𝗧𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝗦𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗳𝗶, 𝗖̧𝗮𝗴̆𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗞𝗼̈𝘀𝗲𝗼𝗴̆𝗹𝘂, 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗹, 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗷𝗻𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁 [𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿] 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 
𝗺𝗼𝗲𝘇𝗲𝘂𝗺 + 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲
𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 - 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 
𝟭𝟰.𝟬𝟬-𝟮𝟮.𝟬𝟬
𝗩𝗶𝗷𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗳𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝟵
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝟭𝟴:𝟯𝟬–𝟮𝟮:𝟬𝟬: ‘𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁’ In the name of organizing public services and infrastructures of care for its citizens, the Belastingdienst periodically delivers a blue envelope in the mailbox of the Dutch tax-payer. In it is a letter marked by the words ‘aanslag’ (tax assessment), stating the amount you owe or are owed by the state. In the 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘦𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘢𝘭, ‘aanslag’ is defined as “𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴.” A word otherwise reserved for terrorist attack appears neutralized when wrapped in the patented blue envelope. Legitimized by its promise of care, the Belastingdienst seems to have a monopoly on ‘aanslagen’
 The group exhibition 𝘏𝘦𝘵 𝘈𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘨 𝘓𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘵 [𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳] uses the space of moezeum to build a speculative counter in which the agency of the aanslag lies in the hands of the common people and is directed back at the taxing structures themselves. The question this exhibition departs from: What would it look like to reclaim the aanslag, not in the name of care, but rooted in care itself? Can we imagine a counter for countering the structures that economically and psychologically tax us? Each work in the exhibition relates to the notion of the aanslag in its own way. While some confront the violence of the Belastingdienst’s aanslag, others enact their own aanslag, poetic or otherwise. Together, the works open up a space where visitors can work to intervene in these taxing structures–be they the state, the municipality, the university, or global governance systems tied to imperial power in the Global North. Het Aanslag Loket reads as a violent love letter: 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤* if we organize around it. Presenting: Assata’s People’s Program, Tega Brain & Sam Lavigne, Nadim Choufi, *Çağlar Köseoğlu, Santiago Pinyol, Nadine Stijns Curated by Yusser al Obaidi Design by Jeanine van Berkel & Yusser al Obaidi
Supported by Mondriaan & Gemeente Rotterdam By (A)WAKE

𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘁 [𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿] Exhibition Opening 17th of April 2026  Presenting work by: Assata’s People’s Program, Tega Brain & Sam Lavigne, Nadim Choufi, Çağlar Köseoğlu, Santiago Pinyol, Nadine Stijns Curated by Yusser al Obaidi 𝗺𝗼𝗲𝘇𝗲𝘂𝗺 + 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 - 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆  𝟭𝟰.𝟬𝟬-𝟮𝟮.𝟬𝟬 𝗩𝗶𝗷𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗳𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝟵 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Supported by Mondriaan Fonds and Gemeente Rotterdam Initiated by (A)WAKE Image: 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱, from 𝘖𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥, by Nadine Stijns, 2025.

(◕‿◕✿)…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

Voor de editie 2025–2026 van Team V verwelkomen we Yusser al Obaidi als coördinator en begeleider van ons jongerenprogramma. Yusser al Obaidi is een Iraaks-Nederlandse schrijver, curator, (grafisch) ontwerper en allround cultureel werker. In haar praktijk werkt ze met thema’s als diasporische identiteit, orale geschiedenissen, soefi-epistemologie en de verwevenheid van moderniteit en kolonialiteit. Ze initieert kritische gesprekken over wat nodig is voor ons welzijn en over de collectieve narratieven die we met ons meedragen. Haar centrale vraag: hoe kunnen we verschillende manieren van zijn en weten erkennen? Als jongerenprogramma van Vleeshal brengt Team V zes deelnemers (17–24 jaar) uit Middelburg en Zeeland samen voor een periode van zes maanden. Samen leren zij de organisatie van binnenuit kennen en reflecteren zij op haar geschiedenis, haar toekomst en de rol van cultuur in de samenleving. Onder begeleiding van Ploen Mevis @ploenmevis (educatie, participatie en publiek Vleeshal) en Yusser stellen ze zichzelf vragen als: Hoe kunnen we samen zijn? Wat kunnen we leren van het verleden? En hoe verbeelden we de toekomst? 📷 @stevens_zazie For the 2025–2026 edition of Team V, we warmly welcome Yusser al Obaidi as coordinator and mentor of our youth program. Yusser al Obaidi is an Iraqi-Dutch writer, curator, (graphic) designer and all-round cultural worker. Working across diasporic identity, oral histories, Sufi epistemology, and the entanglements of modernity and coloniality, she initiates critical conversations around wellbeing and the collective narratives we carry. Her practice asks: how can we affirm different ways of being and knowing? As Vleeshal’s youth program, Team V brings together six participants (ages 17–24) from Middelburg and Zeeland for six months of shared inquiry, learning about the organisation while reflecting on its history, its future, and the role of culture in society. With guidance of Ploen Mevis @ploenmevis (education, participation and public Vleeshal) and Yusser, they will ask themselves: How can we be together? What can we learn from the past? And how do we imagine the future? 📷 @stevens_zazie

The Throes/De Naweeën: evoking earth’s body Opening: 28 November 2025 Locatie: Gemaal op Zuid Language carries not only meaning, but also history—often burdened, sometimes suppressed. It holds traces of subjugation, religion, loss, but also of resistance, imagination, and healing. As the poet and artist Pelumi Adejumo rediscovers the language of her ancestors, unexplainable grief finds its home in the story of 𝘐𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘪 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 of Yoruba mythology. Their story promises us a (re)union of spirit and matter, and exposes the myth of Separation. In the upcoming exhibition at Gemaal op Zuid The Throes/De Naweeën Pelumi Adejumo explores how Yoruba mythology and cultural memory engage with grief, mortality, and desire. A new performance made by Adejumo and performed by Serah Doku Meijboom and Maïté Egeolu, will premiere during the opening on 28 November 2025. It retells the myth of the twins: one moving through hurdles on earth, while the other has passed into the realm of spirit. Although residing in different realms, they remain tethered to one another, leading to a haunting, evolving connection between these two realms. Adejumo asks us: 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴? In The Throes/De Naweeën Pelumi Adejumo views mythology as a balm to speak about the unbearable, a language beyond the scientific, rooted in rituals. Through public programs like writing workshops, the exhibition opens up Yoruba mythological history to wider conversation, especially for those in the diaspora seeking reconnection.

reportage of my fits and faces 🌟

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙮𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗭𝗼𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵.𝟬𝟬 The blueprints to build vessels of escape are everywhere. These blueprints for ships that carry us to an otherwise, to other shores where the boundaries between self and world, between me and you become fluid, have always already been among us. They animate our desire for something better, for a way of being that isn’t based on isolation, hierarchies, and destruction. They respond to our need to traverse the sea in a longing to connect with love, to become love. Join us at 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥 to explore ideas and strategies on how to collectively struggle against modernity, against the separation imposed on us by the forces of subjugation. Rooted in Sufi spiritualities, Black Studies, decoloniality and feminist as well as Marxist thought and practice, Julia Wilhelm and Zouhair Hammana use the medium of blueprints to plot escape routes from the brutalities of modernity. As Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari say: ‘𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦.’ Mutual aid infrastructures make for sturdy vessels of care that allow us to experience our interdependence. From collective learning emerge flotillas of knowledge so we can recreate our worlds based on principles of collective responsibility and a profound understanding of the struggles of those who came before us. Plunging through the waters of uncertainty, the spherical qufa boat of spiritual practice gives itself over to the great will of the ocean to move us towards radical love for all beings, for being itself. At 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥, we are carried on a journey of setting sails for other shores where justice flourishes. Together, those of us who are driven by a longing to cross the ocean can study the blueprints that were passed on.

Friday 12th of September 17:30-19:30 Gemaal op Zuid Join us this Friday for the last viewing moment of AZ OOR’s exhibition Al Falak Al Majdoub. In this moment together, we will have a collective reading of texts followed by a discussion and finally a dinner. One of the main texts we will read is the theory-fiction “Tales of The Electromancer”, the poems by @az_oor_ that link to the doors painted on the wall. AZ OOR’s text is a poetic rejection of colonial infrastructures—an important process in these infrastructure is the imposition of being made into an individual. Various religious and spiritual traditions have wrestled with these questions for ages. Especially questions around the Self and the ego. Islamic traditions have sat a lot with these questions. 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 (destruction of the self) and 𝘣𝘢𝘲𝘲𝘢 (return), two terms emerging out of Islamic traditions, specifically Sufi thought, are examples of trying to make sense of the Self within and through a spiritual tradition. “Anything that shows up as individual, only shows up as individual because you didn’t look closely enough” What can these spiritual traditions teach us when it comes to struggling against being made into an individual? What can we learn from Sufi thought in our attempts of being together differently? RSVP for the dinner via: [email protected] or DM 📷: @lavinia_xausa

Let me introduce you to Periphery Center 🌀 A collective consisting of Pelumi Adejumo, Jeanine van Berkel, Yusser al Obaidi, Yessica Deira, and Leana Boven. Periphery Center is an emerging collective for artistic practice and shared study. Here, we center the margin as the main site for the production of a counter hegemonic discourse that is not just found in words but in habits of being and in the way one lives.* Here, we meet to inspire one another and co-create the reality we dream of through bookmaking, (graphic) design, publishing, curating, art and writing. *bell hooks, “Marginality as site of resistance” Pictured here after the workshop with @girlslikeusmagazine in @stichtingplaatsmaken organized by @lenncox Keep an eye out on future work! 💙