Biography

Dhafra is a newly formed interdisciplinary collective composed of merging artists whose practices meet at the intersection of architecture and visual arts, anthropology and documentary filmmaking, and embodied movement. The collective was born from a shared curiosity about the invisible forces that shape human interactions and collective experiences.One axis of the collective’s exploration emerges from a psychological and introspective perspective that investigates the internal world, the subconscious within both individual and collective identities. Dhafra is interested in how environments influence perception, emotion, and behavior, examining the atmospheric power of space and its subtle impact on the way people encounter one another. This perspective is enriched by anthropological observation of lived rituals and everyday social dynamics, focusing on how individuals construct meaning, negotiate identities, and form connections within a group. The collective pays particular attention to moments where personal boundaries shift and collective patterns begin to emerge. Movement forms the third pillar of Dhafra’s practice. Through the expressive power of the moving body, the collective explores how gestures, rhythms, and shared physical actions can reveal hidden connections and resonances that often exist beyond conscious comprehension. The name “Dhafra” (ضفيرة), meaning braid, symbolizes this intertwining of perspectives and practices.

Artistic project

“Echo” (صدى) is a participatory performance that explores the emergence of collective resonance within a group of strangers in public space. The project investigates how individual identities, often structured by protective “masks”, can gradually dissolve through shared embodied experience.

The performance begins by inviting participants from the public to join the experience. They are divided into small groups through simple visual symbols or colors. Each group encounters a short projected sequence introducing a character whose gestures, rhythms, or vocal expressions become the starting point of a collective action. Guided subtly by performers within the crowd, participants are invited to reproduce these movements and sounds.

At first, the space fills with fragmented gestures, scattered rhythms, and uncoordinated voices. This initial state of chaos reflects the multiplicity of individual expressions. Gradually, through subtle cues and collective listening, these dispersed actions begin to synchronize. Recorded sounds from the participants are progressively integrated into a composed soundscape, transforming the chaotic environment into a shared rhythmic structure.

As movement, sound, and presence align, the crowd becomes a temporary collective body. “Echo” explores how resonance, repetition, and embodied participation can generate a sense of belonging, revealing the hidden frequencies that connect individuals within a collective experience.

Format: performance

Size of audience: 100- to 200 

Specific location: public square moderately crowded

Timing/duration: 2 to 3 hours