On Saturday 24 May 2025, artist Yasmina Reggad invites activist Malika Hamri to activate her exhibition we dreamt of utopia and we woke up screaming. all before… all after…. That day, Hamri will bring her poetic initiative From Bethlehem, Saint-Gilles to Bethlehem, Palestine to Kunsthal Extra City.

This activation is part of the broader project Decolonize Yourself: a poetic tribute to a colonized people, victims of genocide. The initiative began as a weekly gathering at Bethlehem Square in Saint-Gilles (Brussels), and since 2025 it has taken place on the last Saturday of each month.
People come together to speak about Palestine—its history, its ongoing struggle, its poetry, its resistance, and its beauty.

Each session runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and is shaped around a theme that reflects current events. Occasionally, the tribute travels to other locations upon invitation from cultural or activist partners.

This Saturday, the session will take place within Yasmina Reggad’s exhibition at Kunsthal Extra City, during our regular opening hours. It promises to be a powerful moment where poetry, as a form of resistance, enters into dialogue—both literally and symbolically—with Reggad’s artistic practice.

What is a poetic tribute?

A poetic tribute is a moment of remembrance and mourning, but also of connection and imagination. It invites us to open ourselves to empathy and to pause together in the face of injustice, resistance, and hope.

In free form—just like the free Palestine this initiative seeks to defend—the tribute comes to life through poetry, stories, music, chants, drawings, and colours. The symbols and voices of Palestine are expressed in every form—to speak, to remember, to grieve, and to dream.

The event is open to everyone, regardless of age, background, or language. The microphone is open to all who wish to share: a text, a reflection, a song, a cry, or just a few words. It is a space for collective reflection and engagement—a shared moment between those who refuse to look away.

Join us. Raise your voice. Let’s spread poetry.

#FreePalestine

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This event is supported by broader initiatives advocating for justice in Palestine, including:

• humanitycallforpalestine.be – A platform for poetic, cultural and civic action in solidarity with Palestine.
• tayyar.be – A collective movement of artists, thinkers and activists committed to political engagement and decolonial practices.