“No… I will not let the beast devour my existence, for I am a bird of the coming dawn, heading toward the sun of freedom” - Ibaa Ismail

The Boggs Center presents

Birds of the Coming Dawn Exhibition

Join us for three events on August 9, 16 & 23, 2025

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 9, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Artworks created under conditions of siege in Gaza serve as the conceptual core of the exhibition.

In response, Detroit-based poets and visual artists joined a collective, developed sculptural sanctuaries, ritual objects, and public interactive environments to elevate and honor these expressions of profound human suffering.

Honoring the work of Palestinian artists Mohamad Al Harb, Nabil Abu Ghanima & Khalil Khaled

Featuring the artistry of Cyrah Dardas, Qais Al Sindy, Zeinab Saab & Ahmad Nagy, the poetry of Ibaa Ismail, Kamelya Omayma Youssef, and the exhibition curation of Biba Sheikh

Proceeds from purchases go toward artist Mohamad Al Harb and his family in support of their efforts to leave Gaza

Birds of the Coming Dawn Performance Festival

Performance 1: Saturday, August 16, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

With special guest African Drum and Dance

Performance 2: Saturday, August 23, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

With special guest Xiao Dong Wei

We invite you to two interactive theatrical experiences.

These events will be immersive gatherings that explore Boggsian themes of self-transformation, collective healing, and global historical awareness. These public engagements each contribute to a larger narrative in sync with an August performance of this experience in Palestine which will be available to view the companion exhibition.

Biba Sheikh is the Director and Playwright of the festival.

Artist Bio

Biba Sheikh began studying mime with Marcel Marceau and later with members of the Polish Laboratory Theater of  Jerzy Grotowski. She developed vocal work in relation to voice anthropologist, Jorge Lopez, who researched singing methods from indigenous tribes of Latin America. Her foundation, The Mediterranean Fire Project, is a platform to work with artists from the Mediterranean, with a great focus on areas of forced migration. Her nomadic existence led her on a journey with vulnerable populations with the “abandoned children” of Lebanon. After the war left these young people alone, Habibah felt a strong responsibility in order to help them find their voices through storytelling platforms.