In a time when the world feels increasingly fast-paced and fragmented, Twin Cities artists are slowing things down to remind us of the power of connection. From Soo Visual Art Center’s multidisciplinary group exhibit exploring our shared humanity, to deeply personal performances by Sudanese Canadian singer Mustafa and Minnesota hip-hop artist Terrell X, the Twin Cities art scene this weekend highlights the strength found in community.

“I hope that we all just get to have a quiet moment despite all the turmoil in the world,” said Keisha Williams, the juror for Soo Visual Art Center’s exhibit. “We need to remember that we’re still human. Every aspect of our lives matter and we need to focus on the people around us. We’re strongest in community.”

31 artists meditate on connection

For nearly two decades, Soo Visual Arts Center has hosted its flagship juried exhibition, “Untitled,” highlighting artistic voices from a nationwide open call. This year’s guest juror Keisha Williams, director and curator of galleries and exhibitions at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, brings together 31 multidisciplinary artists from 231 submissions for “Untitled 19.”

“I think when you’ve been in the Minneapolis art scene long enough, you realize how small but powerful the arts world is here,” Williams said. “We’re like a very unique microcosm of the Midwest.”

The selected works, which include painting, sculpture, collage, and textiles, explore themes of connection and the human condition. Williams noted that her curatorial approach was intuitive, guided by a desire to capture quiet, intimate moments. 

“I was really trying to practice embodied listening and centering myself on work that really drew a response from me,” she said. “I noticed this kind of uncurrent of connection and intimacy.” 

This sense of connection comes through in pieces like Minneapolis-based artist Jessica Dzielinski’s oil painting “The gnashing of love teeth,” which depicts a woman cradling a wolf as it scratches her hand, drawing blood. Despite the wound, she continues to hold it gently, a moment of both wildness and tenderness. Duddley Diaz’ carved wood sculpture, “Come to Me, I Will Nourish You,” features a woman with outstretched arms, a gesture of warmth and care as four children surround her. Arnée Martin’s large-scale textile installation, “You Cannot Kill Us in a Way That Matters,” reinforces the resilience of communities of color after enslavement, Indigenous genocide and assimilation.

“As a Black woman, the word ‘curator’ is complex,” Williams said. “Museums were designed for white supremacy and so stepping into these spaces, I wanted to make sure that the underrepresented are represented.”

“Bringing together artists and creating support systems that uplift them is the ultimate purpose in my life,” she said. “In times of strife, I firmly believe we should always look to artists and creatives. They’re able to create something intangible in the world and make it visible for us.” 

Concert confronts grief, Gaza occupation

Sudanese Canadian poet and singer Mustafa Ahmed will perform Saturday at the Cedar Cultural Center as part of his “Lost in the Dunya Tour” in support of his debut album. The album title “Dunya,” or “this world” in Arabic, evokes Mustafa’s search for meaning amid loss, violence and injustice. 

Through electronic and folk music, Mustafa reflects on his Islamic faith and the death of his older brother who was shot and killed in Toronto last year in his track “Leaving Toronto.” Mustafa also explores the estrangement he feels with a Palestinian childhood friend, a relationship affected by the ongoing occupation of Gaza in “Gaza is Calling.” While his debut EP, “When Smoke Rises,” focused on the mourning of loved ones, “Dunya” reflects the aftermath — how death continues to echo in life. 

A night of rap and beatboxing

The MacPhail Center for Music will host “The Unknown Potential,” a performance by Minnesota-based hip-hop artist Terrell X (formerly known as Carnage the Executioner), celebrating his 13th studio album “Transformation to Terrell X.” 

The album, divided into three chapters, explores his childhood in Minnesota, marked by domestic abuse and poverty, his experience in Minneapolis’ foster care system and his ultimate transition as an artist through rap, beatboxing and curated samples from the ’60s and ’80s.

Terrell X will be joined by DJ Piecemeal, drummer Michael Rose, guitarist Mike Michel, keyboardist Lila “Eyeowe” Clark and bassist Anthony Cox.

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