gathering
SOUAD MANI & EMILY SARSAM
Khollita
Collective ritual around wool, food, and shared stories
Wednesday, 02/09/2026, 4 pm
Venue: philomena+, Heinestraße 40, 1020 Vienna
Register by writing an e-mail to info@philomena.plus
Exhibition duration: 03/09 – 19/09/2026
Wed-Fri 11 am–3 pm, Sat 3-6 pm
Venue: philomena+, Heinestraße 40, 1020 Vienna
The event is part of the project Savage Roses الورود البرية by Souad Mani and Emily Sarsam, curated by Christine Bruckbauer, Aline Lenzhofer.
Emily Sarsam, 2022
As part of their project Savage Roses, artists Souad Mani and Emily Sarsam invite to a unique gathering at philomena+, inspired by the Tunisian ritual of Khollita—a communal rain summoning ritual practiced by women and children, involving cooking, songs, and prayers.
Together, we will spend 2.5 hours collaboratively creating a woolen textile piece using the technique of needle felting, while sharing stories about community rituals tied to wool, food, and rain. To conclude the afternoon, we will share a couscous* prepared by the artists. Each participant is warmly encouraged to bring an ingredient or dish to contribute to the feast.
The collective artwork made of wool and felt will be presented as part of an installation by Souad Mani and Emily Sarsam at their exhibition at the Parallel Vienna the week after the gathering. Everyone contributing to the work will be credited by name (unless asked not to) at the exhibition.
Open to all —no prior experience needed!
Let’s create, share stories and food!
*vegetarian dish containing gluten
artists
SOUAD MANI
is a visual artist and university lecturer who lives and works in Sousse, Tunisia. Her transdisciplinary work is distinguished by its techno-poetic experiments. In her artistic practice she examines landscapes undergoing transformation under the impact of human activity, and opens up new perspectives on the links between art, technology, and environment. Souad Mani is the founder of De l’image à l’atelier and eSseda.lab.
EMILY SARSAM
is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and cultural organizer based between Tunis and Vienna. Her work explores mediums such as sound composition, voice, fiction, poetry, performance, and publishing. She focuses on commoning practices in rural and agricultural contexts, as well as the impacts of colonialism and extractivism on food, agriculture, and local cosmologies. She is currently enrolled in the PhD-in-Practice program at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
Supported by
