The Speculative Circle

Maktaba: A Speculative Thought Circle is a monthly gathering dedicated to collective reading, viewing, and discussion across disciplines. Rooted in the Arabic word for “library,” Maktaba takes the form of an open and horizontal learning environment where participants gather around a roundtable to reflect on texts and artistic practices, from exhibitions, books, film, and image to performance and sound, considering the ways they speak to one another and what we might speculate from them. 

For its next session, Maktaba turns its attention to love. Facilitated by artist Ameena AlJerman, the gathering explores love in all its facets, drawing on the perspectives of thinkers, academics, and artists alongside Ameena's own practice. The session unfolds in two parts: a collective exploration of what love has meant and what it might yet become, followed by a hands-on, embodied reflection.

You are invited to arrive with an open mind and, if you wish, a small offering of love: a gift from someone dear, a piece of poetry, or a song that lingers with you.

All texts and/or bodies of work for each Maktaba Circle are shared prior to our meeting. Participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the materials, annotate, and bring their own references and offerings to the discussion.

Accessibility & Participation

Open to ages 18 and above.

No prior experience is required

About the Instructor

Ameena Aljerman Al Ali is a UAE-based visual artist and artistic researcher working across installation, video, sculpture, and text. She holds an MFA from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design (Stockholm, Sweden), and a double major BA in Visual Art and International Studies from Zayed University (Dubai, UAE). Ameena’s work engages archives, oral histories, and cultural practices in the Gulf and wider Indian Ocean region. Her research focuses on cultural memory and the circulation of histories through oral traditions, ritual practices, and audiovisual archives. Her practice also extends to site-responsive and public-space research, including projects developed in Japan, Thailand, and the UAE.