The word “culture” comes from the Latin word “cultivare,” which means “to cultivate” or “to till the soil.” This term is so important to Barry Souleymane, a speaker at the “Identity between Cultures” panel discussion at Temple Rome, because he believes that the things that we do are the fruits of our cultivation, and these things that we do, and share are what makes culture.
“I believe that it is important to underscore the fact that intercultural identity is a process.”
– Alessandro Ralli
Another panelist, Alessandro, is a Ph.D. student at Sapienza University of Rome who spoke about how building identity is a process, and one of the most important contributions to this is what is called a “third space.” He describes these spaces as “a zone where different kinds of social, cultural, and political identity make into contact.” A third space is one where everyone can feel comfortable in their own identity while being open to learning about others, a “paradiso” in Barry’s words. There is no room for hate or judgement in these spaces, yet it can push one to feel a sort of uncomfortableness. You must challenge yourself to be able to grow from learnt ideas or biases that have built over time; it is through critical thinking where you can expand your mind to different perspectives and backgrounds.
“To be an artist, sometimes it’s also to be an outsider. Sometimes it’s to be too sensitive, having too [many] emotions, feeling too much, down and depressed, and then being too happy and see the beauty in the things that people don’t see.”
– Alina Vasieikina
Panelist Alina is an artist, designer, and creative educator who emphasized how art can help one feel control when there is no way to change the bad happenings of the world around us. Life can be stressful, and art is a way that many are able to express emotions of frustration and anger but also love and joy. Art, too, can offer a third space for many; it is an expression of the self and too allows for uncomfortable conversations that help us to learn from each other’s stories. Barry mentioned how he feels at home in these spaces because through them, he feels united with others and there is a community cultivated through art. He does his research through his street photography, where he can capture emotion and tell stories – this is how he truly learns of the vast sea of human experiences. He believes that his work is not just about capturing an image, rather about listening to others, and it is how he has learned so much about himself. His goal is to show the world that true intercultural identity is removing one’s ethnic or national background and realizing that we must act as a global community, as we are all from this world, just with different experiences within it.
“My identity was unfortunately shaped by the perception of other people, of my Ukrainian identity. So, the good thing, I think, for me, was the art and the creation of my creative identity, which helped me eventually to create more space for myself, where I can present myself as an artist and not only as a Ukrainian.”
– Alina Vasieikina
At a young age, Alina was used to traveling for education; she studied in London at 19 and in the next year she had moved to China for work. Despite the hardships that come with finding yourself in a different culture, Alina had done quite well, up until she had planned to move back home. Unfortunately, with the first revolution of Ukraine against Russia in 2022, she was forced to move to Italy as a refugee. It was difficult to go from a place where she was perceived as a “beautiful white woman” to then be called a migrant or a refugee. This title had a great psychological impact on her, as it felt like her identity was completely erased. Riddled with anxiety, she felt helpless, and it took her years to rebuild her creative identity and refuse to be boxed in by a word she now despises. She does not agree with the word “refugee,” as from her personal experience, she can say that it does strip one of their identity and destroys personality.
Barry too experienced a bout of depression once he moved to Rome. Coming from Guinea, he was seen as just African, despite the many different countries and cultures within the continent. There was a feeling of emptiness inside of him; he attempted to integrate more and tried to apply for university, but his lack of specific documentation did not allow him to, and he was filled with anger. This anger was sparked by the absurdity of how these few missing pieces of paper were refusing his right to education, and it continued to be fueled by his lack of identity that came with titles others bestowed upon him. He eventually learned that he had to accept his difference to work towards the potential he knew he held, and with the help of certain organizations, he was admitted into university and is now in the process of producing a documentary.
“Intercultural identity is enriched by communications of the people and working with other people.”
– Alina Vasieikina, translating and paraphrasing for Barry Souleymane.
Barry’s upcoming documentary, “Traces of Light” is one that highlights seven artists in Italy with migration backgrounds. Working on this has proved to be a very rich experience for him because through his work, he is learning so much and becoming richer as a person. He chose this name for his work because light is seen as a symbol for many things and can be different for everyone. For him, light is emotion, the communication of people, and the imprint that each person leaves on you. During the panel discussion, he repeatedly mentioned how third spaces are a safe place for people to show their experiences and learn from others, which is ultimately what he is doing with his work and what he wants to teach others through his art.
As a creator, I took a lot of this discussion to heart; Art is an exemplary way to express emotion that struggles to come out through conversation, and it is beautiful how it allows many to open up and to also learn. It can teach others’ hardships, what they love, and who they are. It is so important to be open-minded to other identities, as it helps you grow your own and expands your mind to perceptions you may have never thought of before.
If you want to a part of fascinating presentations like these, check out the Temple Rome program page to find out more about studying abroad!