Story of Us
The history of Almukhatab is intertwined with the story of us. Interval starting from a meeting point of two classmates, our common interests brought us together. With the experiences we had and discussions, we started to develop our methodology of discussion, venturing into different topics and initiatives. The real start was in a curatorship course that revealed our enthusiasm for all things related to museums, art, and culture. It was the professor of the course, Peter Assmann, that pointed to us how it was such an interesting coincidence that brought two women from different backgrounds and with similar passions to this small renaissance town in Italy, Mantua. His words left us with a hint that we should do something about it, yet it took many years and countless discussions to finally bring forth the birth of Almukhatab. The choice of Almukhatab as a designation maybe needs some explanation.
Name Philosophy
Building an enhanced area that fosters dialogue has been our key objective from the very beginning.We believe that the term “al mukhatab” encapsulates our perspective as a think tank.
Al mukhatab means in Arabic (the word present also in Persian, Turkish and some other languages) “the spoken to”. We aim to create a space where all the interlocutors can be heard, understood, and engaged with, in an inclusive and respectful manner. By adopting “al mukhatab” as our new identity, we hope to signal our dedication to breaking down barriers and co-creating knowledge that empowers and uplifts those whose voices have historically been silenced or overshadowed.
Amal Muntaser, 1992 Denmark, architect/researcher. Sudanese native, raised in Sudan. Currently resident in Italy. After she achieved her graduation in Khartoum, she participated in a leadership program in the USA and another in Kenya. Over four years of living, studying, and working in Italy, she developed several academic interests, particularly in cultural heritage and anthropology. She is in the process of Ph.D. applications
and is working as a project manager in X23 The Innovation Bakery .
Education
2016-2019 Politecnico di Milano, Architectural Design and History, Master’s Degree
2008-2014 University of Khartoum, Architecture, Bachelor’s degree
Esra Nesipoğulları, 1991 Turkey, architect / multidisciplinary artist, born and raised in Turkey. Currently resident in Italy. She accomplished two residency programs in Toulouse and Marseille during the period of her BA. In 2013, she had been granted to travel to Cuba for research about the use of semi-public spaces in the socialist urbanism context. The research output later evolved into a political discourse and academic material. After spending more than three years working in various architectural design offices in London, Istanbul, and continually Mantua, she stepped into studio practice and artistic research in 2019. she has stepped into studio practice and artistic research in 2019. Her works often respond to personal stories in cultural and political contexts through mining visual archives on the internet.
Education
2017-2020 Politecnico di Milano, Architectural Design and History, Master’s Degree
2009-2015 Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Architecture, Bachelor’s degree