247 Surviving, Creating, and Building: A Conversation with Zeina Baltagi

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode of What's My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza sits down with artist, educator, and community builder Zeina Baltagi for an unfiltered discussion on survival, art, and the intersections of mobility—physical, economic, and spiritual.

Zeina shares their journey of resilience, from surviving childhood illness and economic instability to navigating the evolving landscape of contemporary art and activism. They reflect on the profound impact of survivor’s guilt, cultural identity, and the responsibility of bearing witness in times of crisis. With a practice rooted in lived experience, Zeina’s work explores everything from public space and urban infrastructure to the erasure of cultural heritage in Palestine and Lebanon**.

 

This episode touches on:

✔ **Art as a means of survival and self-exploration**\

✔ The impact of disability and economic hardship on mobility\

✔ **The role of sidewalks as a metaphor for access and exclusion**\

✔ Navigating the art world as an educator and activist\

✔ **The destruction of cultural institutions in global conflicts**\

✔ The challenges of speaking truth in an industry that often prioritizes silence

 

Throughout, Javier and Zeina discuss the emotional weight of witnessing violence and injustice—both personally and politically—and how artists can use their work to build coalitions and create lasting impact.

🔥 This is an episode about perseverance, purpose, and finding ways to keep creating, even when the world is burning.

📢 Follow Zeina Baltagi

📸 Instagram: @garfield_ave

🌐 Website: Zeinabaltagi.com

 

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