SUBJECTS

AND OBJECTS
IN EXILE
 A PUBLICATION OF L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

SUBJECTS
AND OBJECTS
IN EXILE

COVER CREDIT
Oliver Ressler, stills from There are
no Syrian refugees in Turkey, 2016.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 137 188
Introduction A Few Notes on a Time Škart Maps
of Uncertainties Đorđe Balmazović
9 Merve Bedir
Objects/Subjects 192
in Exile 146 Interview with
A conversation The Shame Oliver Ressler
between Wayne Modest, and Misery of Liberal Democracy: By November Paynter
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Europe and Migration Flows
and Margareta von Oswald Carlos Prieto del Campo 201
The Mediterranean:
20 154 A New Imaginary.
Mapping Collections The “Refugee Crisis” and the Current Conflated Scales—Deep Inconsistencies
Christiane Berndes, Predicament Adrian Lahoud
Cristina Cámara Bello, of the Liberal State
Igor Španjol, Denise Ferreira da Silva 218
Anders Kreuger, Imperceptible Institutions
Antònia Maria Perelló 161 pantxo ramas
Migrants… Refugees…
36 People! 242
Apricots from Damascus Ela Meh Biographies
Atıf Akın
and Dilek Winchester 181
with Nadia Al Issa, Brexit,
Hera Büyüktaşçıyan, New Nationalism,
Khaled Barakeh and the New Politics of Migrancy
and Pınar Öğrenci John Byrne

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 3

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

INTRODUCTION
 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

The editorial board began discussing this e-publication fleeing war, deep divisions amongst political lead-
in the aftermath of summer 2015. The decision to put ers were laid bare. Their answer to the humanitarian
together this fifth edition, titled “Subjects and Objects catastrophe, like so many times before, was financial,
in Exile”, was prompted by the many tragic displace- throwing money at NGOs without a credible political
ments, fates and deaths of those seeking asylum in position. Such divisions exposed the rotten core of
Europe and elsewhere. These enforced mass exiles are Europe’s so-called political union – its failure to speak
the result of civil wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The with one voice revealing the deep splits over how the
appalling and dehumanising management by European constituent parts of Europe see themselves. This has
powers is having worrying economic, cultural, politi- become a debate about Europe’s identity, its relation-
cal and juridical implications. Concurrently, and as the ship to those from outside its borders, and its ability
situation worsened, we witnessed the radical mutation to comprehend the current crisis as the political and
of civil society in Turkey and its potential cultural rami- humanitarian consequence of nation states impos-
fications for our partners within L’Internationale and all ing their will on others. Within such an urgent discus-
those who work in and with the Turkish cultural field. sion, a confederation such as L’Internationale and its
In this publication, we would like to address what has online platform seems to have a role to play in trying
come to be called, not un-problematically we would to articulate the complexities, challenges and politics
argue, the European “refugee crisis”. We do so in the at stake. This e-publication aims to forge an under-
shadow of recent and ongoing terrorist attacks, rising standing of how a moment such as this demands that
nationalism and Britain’s imminent notification to leave we start thinking collectively and acting together.
the European Union. In this issue, commissioned texts look at the cur-
At an EU summit in autumn 2015, during which rent crisis from postcolonial, geo-political and cul-
quotas were imposed on countries to accept those tural viewpoints. A major part of this e-publication

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 5

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

is a presentation of the first phase of the project museums, the notion of repair or restitution, and the
called Mapping Collections, the data-visualisa- analogy between artefacts of ethnological museums
tion of the collections of the museum partners of and citizens in exile.
L’Internationale. This tool in progress is based on In a moving and harrowing account of refugee
data about the migrations of artists who are repre- camps in Turkey, France and Greece, Merve Bedir
sented in these collections. We took into account the exposes the fundamental shifts in national, legal
movements of artists lasting longer than six months. and humanitarain borders as a result of those seek-
Researching the different collections information ing refuge in European and Turkish land. “The agree-
databases, it became clear that most partner muse- ment on the exchange of Syrian refugees between
ums don’t document those movements. Data visu- the European Union and Turkey, signed on 20 March
alisation was designed by the graphic designer Joost 2016”, she writes, “has effectively altered the physi-
Grootens who used a map of the world and added the cal borders of Greece, by excising some of the Greek
possibility to read the information in time. By extend- islands in the Aegean Sea from Greece, making them
ing the invitation to our colleagues to write about art- into black holes”. The e-publication also includes
works by these artists through the lens of this tool, a contribution from the publishing and exhibition
we try to ask ourselves what we can learn from this project Apricots from Damascus, initiated by Dilek
data visualisation, what information it generates and Winchester and Atıf Akın, which defines itself as
how we can further develop it. Understanding migra- exploring “art in a state of mobility and exile”, focus-
tion as a constituent part of the “diasporic condition” ing on artists and art production that come out of,
(Ghassan Hage) of today’s world, we also claim that pass through or touch Istanbul.
through these artworks, varied cultures and contexts In his piercing analysis, Carlos Prietro del Campo
are represented in our collections and enrich the cul- examines the current crisis of displacement within
tural heritage of our institutions. the context, or as the logical outcome, of liberal ideol-
In the conversation from which the pres- ogy. He writes “the systemic organisation of poverty,
ent e-publication borrows its title, Wayne Modest, exclusion and violence, conceived as ontological
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and Margareta correlates of the inferiority of class, race and gen-
von Oswald discuss the notion of post-ethnological der, historically constitutes the hard core of liberal

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 6

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

ideology”. Following on from this, Denise Ferreira da seekers describing their complicated journeys to
Silva requests that “we expand our political imagina- Europe from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea,
tion” to meet the calls of the current humanitarian Guinea, Senegal, Syria... and used for their work with
predicament. Her analysis of raciality that informs the high school students in Serbia to discuss migrations
nationalist trend now threatening to occupy the lib- and people’s attitude towards them. Oliver Ressler
eral state and the political discourse of the left opens in conversation with November Paynter defines bor-
towards a critique of global capital that could chal- ders as tools for managing, governing, and calibrating
lenge both. the movement of people, with which the EU has been
In her blog posts, Ela Meh develops a series of regulating the influx of refugees in the last two years.
discourses that counter the dehumanising represen- In his films There are no Syrian refugees in Turkey
tation of migrants and refugees that emanates from (2016), shot immediately after the attempted coup
humanitarian and securitarian policies. In light of the d’état in Istanbul, and Emergency Turned Upside-
Brexit vote and of the newly elected president in the Down (2016), Ressler claims that borders should be
US, John Byrne remarks that in spite of the fact that completely erased to ensure a major condition for
the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolised free- re-distribution.
dom of movement, access and the postcolonial col- Architect and researcher Adrian Lahoud
lapse of the nation state, the breakdown of the global reflects on the contemporary necropolitics of the
economy some twenty years later caused nothing of Mediterranean region in the era of the Anthropocene.
this happen in reality. Moreover, the year 2015 proved In his essay he gives examples of the recent human
that the contradictory rhetoric of cultural liberal- migrations from the region of the Sahel to Europe.
ism, freedom of access and opportunity turned into These migrations, as he notes, are caused by the
aggressive defensive postures adopted by EU mem- movement of anthropogenic aerosols from north
ber states confronted with the flows of refugees. to south. Emitted by the industrial processes in the
Đorđe Balmazović’s text accompanies a series Northern Hemisphere and carried into the air by
of maps, made by the Škart collective in the asy- wind currents until they float high above the Atlantic
lum centre in Bogovađa, Serbia, from 2013 to 2015. Ocean, aerosols interact with solar radiation chang-
The maps were based on the testimonies of asylum ing ocean temperatures and affecting the intensity of

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 7

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

the wet season in the Sahel. At the end of this e-pub-

lication, pantxo ramas’ blog posts report case stud-
ies on Trieste’s community healthcare practices and
the development of local practices of welcoming in
Barcelona, on institutions as ecologies and institut-
ing practices on the edge of state and society.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 8

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

OBJECTS/SUBJECTS
IN EXILE
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN
WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG,
AND MARGARETA VON OSWALD
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

Berlin, late November 2016. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng have re-drawn lines between “us” and “them”. In
Ndikung, Curator at Large for documenta 14 and I both contexts, notions of difference and questions
meet at SAVVY Contemporary, a non-profit art space about who and what can be defined as “Western” or
founded and directed by Ndikung since 2009, situ- “European” reappear. It is therefore pertinent and
ated in Berlin’s northern district Wedding. Wayne urgent to ask: what does/can constitute a common
Modest, Head of the Research Center for Material “we”? Who is included and excluded from this com-
Culture, Leiden, Netherlands, the research institute of mon denominator, and on what bases? To what extent
the National Museum of World Cultures, which unites could it even be productive to think of objects as
some of the most significant Dutch ethnographic migrants in exile, and thus to think of “object diaspo-
collections, including those of the Africa Museum ras”, as the archaeologist Paul Basu did 1?
(Berg en Dal), Museum Volkenkunde (Leiden) and To discuss those questions, I invited Modest
Tropenmuseum (Amsterdam), joins us via skype. and Ndikung, who are both curators and research-
The current issue of L’Internationale Online ers engaged in questioning definitions of difference
prompted me to initiate this conversation in order and otherness. Both have been exploring historical
to find a different approach to the notions of cri- and contemporary hierarchies between the West
sis and migration – through the perspective of and the non-West, and yet they
objects. More particularly, I proposed to take so- speak from different institutional, 1.  Basu, P. 2011,
“Object diasporas,
called ethnographic objects as points of departure national and disciplinary perspec- resourcing communities:
for our discussion; objects categorised as “non- tives. I hoped their situatedness Sierra Leonean col-
European”, and thus as “foreign”. As it happened in would illuminate some of the dif- lections in the global
museumscape”, Museum
response to the recent arrival of refugees in Europe, ficulties and potentials of rethink- Anthropology, vol. 34,
the heated debates around ethnological museums ing migrant objects. “Coming and no. 1, pp. 28-42.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 10
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

seeing from the Caribbean”, as he put it, Modest suggest. The following are excerpts from our conver-
addresses these issues within Dutch institutions sation about the relation of objects to subjects and
that oversee problematically-connoted ethno- some of the challenges facing ethnographic collec-
graphic collections. Ndikung brings with him another tions today.
nexus of potentially contrasting perspectives, say-
ing that he is “thinking from the African mind and
physical space”. As an independent curator of con-
Objects as Accidental Refugees –
temporary art, he is challenging the ethnological Processes of Objectification/
museums’ legitimacy, most publicly Berlin’s contro- Subjectification
versial Humboldt-Forum 2. Set to open in 2019, this
monumental new cultural site in Margareta von Oswald
2.  Bloch, W. 2016, “‘So the centre of Berlin is meant to In a talk 4 given at Berlin’s now-closed Ethnological
etwas wie Unterwerfung’.
bring together the collections of Museum, Arjun Appadurai linked the fate of objects
Was soll das Humboldt-
Forum? Ein Gespräch mit
the Ethnological Museum and the in Berlin’s future Humboldt-Forum and migrants
dem Wissenschaftler Museum for Asian Art. Framed by who have come to Germany to seek new homes.
und Documenta-Kurator
the façade of a reconstructed 18th Identifying both as “accidental refugees”, Appadurai
Bonaventure Ndikung”, Die
Zeit, 21 January, viewed
century Prussian castle, it is one described these objects and the refugees as “nar-
23 January 2017. of Germany’s, if not Europe’s, most ratives in search of a plot, players in a story without
3.  For a critical dis-
hotly contested museum proj- a resolution”. He stated that the stories of refugees
cussion of Berlin’s
Humboldt-Forum, see Von
ects 3. Ndikung has questioned tend to be reduced to dislocation and suffering, con-
Bose, F. 2013, “The mak- the Forum’s politics of ownership structing their identities as unstable, incomplete, and
ing of Berlin’s Humboldt
and representation. damaged. The stories of objects don’t usually tend
– Forum: Negotiating
history and the cul-
Our conversation was fre- to be about such journeys of dis- 4.  “Dictionary of Now
tural politics of place”, quently interrupted by laughter, placement, relocation and reha- #4: Sharon Macdonald,
darkmatter. In the ruins
in particular when observing that bilitation; instead, they are more Tony Bennett & Arjun
of imperial culture, Appadurai – THING”,
18 November, viewed
they disagreed less than their frequently framed in terms of their Ethnologisches Museum
23 January 2017. institutional affiliations might origin. Questioning the fact that Berlin, 10 October 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 11
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

Kader Attia, Entropie / Entropy, 2016. Old wooden art object of Central Africa from
the Ngbaka ethnic group, telescopic steel arm for screen. Exhibition view: Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Photo: Vanni Bassetti. Courtesy: the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 12
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

the “refugees are seen as artefacts of excessive cir- conscripted to the unending narrative of the migrant?
culation whereas the objects are seen exclusively as The fact that my home is accidental does not mean
fixed and stable”, he therefore argued for a more bal- that it cannot be or become home.
anced narrative. What would your comments be on
this proposal? Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung
What I find interesting in Appadurai’s presenta-
Wayne Modest tion, and what I would like to shift to, is his thinking
It’s not new to think about the mobilities of things. on humanity. I don’t think we have a refugee crisis.
However, I like Appadurai’s suggestion to tie the fate I think we have a humanity crisis, one that we have
of objects together with the movement of people, had for the past 600 years or more. It seems to me
of migrants. And there is truth in saying that we, as that while formerly colonised countries seized their
museum professionals, don’t necessarily consider independence, the transition from object to subject
the trajectories objects carry with them, or what he never really happened – from the point of view of
calls their “accidental refugee status”. If one were the West/ former coloniser. What these people have
to take exile within the Caribbean context as exam- in common with objects in museums is an essential
ple, which emerged out of the forced, violent migra- crisis of objectification. The people who were taken
tion of people within the colonial project – a project during the Middle Passage had to be dehumanised
of slavery – then one could think of those people and objectified. The same thing concerns the so-
who live in the Caribbean as forced migrants. On the called objects in museums, because they too have
other hand, they have also been able to fashion a their subjectivities. They had to be objectified to be
new place for their formation in the Caribbean. And placed within those museum spaces. With the abol-
some of those migrants moved a second time, from ishment of slavery, a kind of subjectification of former
the Caribbean to Europe – double diasporic – becom- objects took place. However, this process has not
ing a part of Europe with their historical and cul- been completely accomplished. The people coming
tural connections. So one of the difficulties I might today, so-called refugees, are still seen as objects.
have with Appadurai’s provocation would lead me We are doing the same thing with these beings, bod-
to ask: at what moment do these people stop being ies, and spirits as what we have done with objects in

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 13
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

ethnological museums. Regarding ethnological museums and their col-

lections [he pauses], I agree that there is a prac-
Wayne Modest tice of objectification. There is a way in which these
I would not disagree: this is a question of human- objects have been conscripted into the same narra-
ity. It is a question about who has been allowed or tive – the “exotic”, the “other”, the “outsider”, the
denied the right to be human throughout the colo- alien. And these objects become representatives of
nial project, and today. I am insistent on addressing those notions. So I agree they too act as stand-ins.
this issue within a broader question of citizenship These objects are like citizens in exile that share
here because it is a long history of vulnerability that similar genealogies – or biographies as Igor Kopytoff 5
refugees share. It is the history of being reduced to would say – of citizenship with earlier migrants. In
a subject allowed limited rights, which are different some cases objects also share something with ref-
to the rights of citizens and don’t account for a more ugees: the place from which they came, or the vul-
complex understanding of their rights as humans. nerable position they hold as “not belonging”. I have
Many people – and I am going to make it personal, great difficulties with statements like “you should
many people who look like me – struggle to claim a go back to your own country”, which are sometimes
particular kind of humanity. You know that when you made to those racialised subjects deemed not to
walk down the streets. You know that when you go belong. Europe consistently forgets that people are
through the airport. Visa regimes reduce us to a kind not just here by accident; it is not
of biometrics of exclusion. So I concur with you that easy, even possible, to make such 5.  Kopytoff, I. 1986,
“The cultural biogra-
this idea of the refugee is a stand-in for a specifically statements after Europe’s colonial phy of things: commod-
racialised person who is not regarded as belonging, project. You can’t say to someone itization as process“,
and who has been denied humanity for a long time. from Suriname who moved to the in A. Appadurai 1986
(ed.), The Social life
The idea is that they, the refugee, that racialised other, Netherlands in the 1950s: “go of things: commodities
are now coming to what we – the European – thinks back to your own country”. That in cultural perspective,
of as our space. To threaten our rights, threaten what is a denial of history. Nor can you Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge
is ours. This then results in this great anxiety – now say that to someone from Curaçao [Cambridgeshire],
called the refugee crisis. or Bonaire living in Amsterdam New York.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 14
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

today, or to somebody of Jamaican heritage in Britain.

Because after the colonial moment, one has to think
In Search of a Space for
of another constitution of what it means to be in the Process of Working Through
Europe, or to be European. And such discussion is not
only limited to the rights accrued during the colonial At this point, our discussion turned to a debate around
time. In this current globalised moment, Europe can’t restitution. Ndikung used the example of the throne
claim to be a place for only one group of people. For from the Bamun people of Foumban in Cameroon,
me, those objects participate in that “other consti- which is currently located in Berlin’s Ethnological
tution” of this Europeanness. They do so with all of Museum, to argue for its return and the renegotiation
the dense, difficult, uncomfortable vibrations they of its place in the local community after more than 100
contain in the museum. This is where I could connect years in Berlin’s museumscape. While Modest con-
with Appadurai. My reason for being cautious about curred about the importance of restitution, he also
this perspective, which I am still working through highlighted the danger of, on the one hand, thinking
myself, is that this is not an argument to give fodder about restitution in non-com- 6.  Attia has been work-
to those who believe that these objects should not to plex ways, or on the other hand, ing on the metaphor of
be returned to their countries of origin. in a framework of nostalgia that repair and reparation in
connection with the con-
believes that to give back is to cept of reappropriation
somehow retreat to an earlier most prominently in his
stage in history, pretending that installation The Repair,
for documenta 13 (2012).
this history never happened. Giving For an artist’s state-
back, Modest suggests, does ment, see for example:
not remove the responsibility to “Repair: Architecture,
Reappropriation, and
redress historical wrongs – the The Body Repaired”,2013,
wounds still remain. Both agreed viewed 26 February 2017,
that the notion of “repair”, as used [Link]
repair-architecture-
for instance by French-Algerian reappropriation-and-the-
artist Kader Attia 6, presented an body-repaired.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 15
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

Kader Attia, Culture, Another Nature Repaired, 2014, Teak wood sculptures on metal
support, dimensions variable. Exhibition view: Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne,
2015. Photo: Nora Rupp. Courtesy: the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 16
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

interesting alternative. In their eyes, it could mark the Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung 7.  Diawara, M. 2011,

impossibility to return to an imaginary place and time This makes me want to go back to “One World in Relation.
Édouard Glissant in
before colonialism, “when things hadn’t been bro- the concept of the diaspora. I had Conversation with Manthia
ken yet”, highlighting the necessity for a space which to think of Edouard Glissant’s con- Diawara”, NKA. Journal
Modest frames as “the space for working through”. versation with Manthia Diawara 7, of Contemporary African
Art , no 28, Spring,
in which he mentioned the con- pp. 5-19.
Wayne Modest sent of not being a single being.
The objects sit in a space of contested, entangled We, as people in the diaspora, have to be cognisant of
relationality. “Working through” implies that one this. You are no longer a single being. Of course this
has to question, debate, to feel uncomfortable; to is also applicable to those subjects in the museums.
box and fight about the objects and their meanings They are not single beings. Their being within those
in the present. This is what Appadurai is getting at, spaces has had an impact on them. I see your argu-
I think. One should not only account for a temporal ment about some of them having to stay here, to be
moment before the objects came here, which limits able to remind us of that history. This plurality of beings
their meaning to their rituals, but also engage with also says that they have to deal with a particular space
their histories, with the unequal relationships which of repair, which includes this physical space in Europe,
turned some subjects into objects, some humans but also, the physical space in, let’s say, Cameroon.
to non-humans, and with the unequal power under
which they moved. In such a process, one reflects on Margareta von Oswald
how we constitute the subject of the present, and the So where do you locate this “space for working
contestations over that subject. I think that one of the through”? Can it be the ethnological museum? Is it
possible ways these objects can remain in Europe actually possible to work within this space as a space
should be as ghostly presences, here to remind us for repair, with its difficult histories of appropriation,
of the trajectories to the present; that we are not as both material and symbolic?
good as we sometimes want to think we are, or as
kind as we think we are. Our present is formed from a Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung
disturbing past and we are implicated in this. I don’t know. If you ask Simon Njami, he would say:

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 17
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

“No need for ethnological museums”. I am not as radi- this work. In addressing their very troubled histories,
cal. Rather than thinking about whether it is neces- they are, in my view important structures for working
sary to have those museums or not, it is important to through the difficult past, to open up to other forms of
look at the power dynamics that exist within such knowledges, to be part of a redressive framework in
structures. What does it mean to rebuild a former the present and to fashion more equitable futures.
Prussian Palace [in Berlin]? To name it – and there is
a lot of power in naming, taxonomy, nomenclature –
Humboldt, and then to house objects in it that were
The Post-Ethnological
collected through dubious means? To me, we should Museum?
be questioning the coloniality of power. So, maybe
the point I am trying to make is that the space for Margareta von Oswald
repair or working through should be a space wherein Notions like the “post-ethnographic” and “post-
the so-called objects regain their subjectivities. A ethnological” museum have recently been used by
space where they, organically and not artificially, res- Clémentine Deliss 8 and James Clifford 9 to refer to
urrect to life again. alternative strategies of working with ethnographic
collections. Do you find these notions productive?
Wayne Modest 8.  See for example
I want to relate to your ideas by asking another ques- Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndiking Deliss, C. 2013, “Trading

tion. This has to do with me being a little bit less opti- I can’t speak directly about “post- perceptions in a post-
ethnographic museum”,
mistic that 400 years of colonial past can be undone ethnographic” and “post-ethno- Theatrum Mundi, 17 June,
quickly, or that these institutions are just going to logical,” as I am not a specialist viewed 23 January 2017.

disappear. Instead of asking “should these muse- in these concepts. I am sure they 9.  James Clifford dis-
cussed the notion during
ums remain or can they be the places where repair are thought-through. I have a lot a recent presentation he
can happen?” – my question would be whether or not of respect for Clémentine Deliss made: “A post-ethnolog-

people within those infrastructures are interested in and the work she did in Frankfurt. ical museum”, Musée du
Quai Branly, Paris, 30
this reparative work. An ethnological museum is one But in general, it seems to me September 2016, viewed 26
of the multiple spaces that can be mobilised to do that we invest a lot of time in the February 2017.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 18
 OBJECTS/SUBJECTS IN EXILE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD

10.  Hermann Parzinger construction of terms and names Wayne Modest

has been the Director of
and don’t really look at what is I agree with Bonaventure in acknowledging the
the Stiftung Preußischer
Kulturbesitz (Prussian
actually to be done. What are the innovative and important work of both Clementine
Cultural Heritage concepts? What is behind those and James, both of whom I highly respect. But what
Foundation) since 2008.
names? Who are the people doing forms of practice, ideas, different co-relations are we
The Foundation holds the
majority of Berlin’s
this? And who are the people you restructuring by adopting these names? That is what
museum collections. aim to reach when you do this? I would ask. I am interested in a transition in which
I talk about the three Ps: Public, we move away from a representation that says this is
Personal and Practice. How do you really want to who those people are, or a practice that hides from its
affect these three Ps by changing the name? Let me historical violence, and continues to conscript cer-
put it this way: the best post-ethnological museum tain humans into what I call the “deep cultural” and
concept in London means little or nothing to some- incommensurably different. I am more interested in
one in Nigeria who has no access to, nor possibility a shift towards a place that acknowledges the muse-
of seeing, the Benin bronzes languishing in a space ums implicatedness within certain pasts and uses
with a fancy name for example. We hear about the this to reposition it as a space where questions of
concept of “shared heritage” too often from the redress, where repair can be inaugurated. Now, if this
likes of Professor Parzinger 10 and his acolytes. How is what we call the post-ethnographic, then I can
shared is that shared heritage? Again, for that person understand it. But if it is just renaming to say that we
in Nigeria, surely it is less about how the museum or now include contemporary artists, I remain impatient.
practice is called, than it is about how he/she could Because no matter how much we do it, it will be the
live in the company of, practice a ritual with, or just same people doing it. It is not to say that a name is not
fully experience his/her cosmogony. important. But one needs to do more work to fash-
ion the changes that I suggest before calling it that
[post-ethnological or post-ethnographic]. And the
label “world cultures” does not do that either.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – WAYNE MODEST, BONAVENTURE SOH BEJENG NDIKUNG, MARGARETA VON OSWALD – 19
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

MAPPING
COLLECTIONS
CHRISTIANE BERNDES, CRISTINA CÁMARA BELLO, IGOR ŠPANJOL,
ANDERS KREUGER, ANTÒNIA MARIA PERELLÓ
 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Research in Progress First of all, we had to define migration. According

to the Oxford Dictionaries migration is “the move-
Data Visualisation ment of people to a new area or country in order to
on Artists’ Migration find work or better living conditions”. In our research,
only movements for a period longer than six months
This data visualisation is initiated by L’Internationale were taken into account. Researching the different
as a tool in progress. It is based on data about the collections information databases, it became clear
migrations of artists, represented in the collections that most partner museums don’t document the
of L’Internationale partners. The information is based movements of artists. Data were restricted to the year
on data from the different collection information sys- and place of an artist’s birth, and if applicable, of their
tems of the partners, complemented with research death. So it became clear that for a general overview
on a selected group of individual artists. of movements, additional research was needed. We
As a graphic device, data visualisation is an inter- decided to use the knowledge of the curators from
esting tool with which to mediate knowledge. By the different institutions and asked them to select
reconfiguring facts and figures in visual form, new between ten and twenty artists from their collections,
interpretations can be discovered and unlocked. that had migrated at least once in their life. We com-
Configuring facts in different constellations invari- posed a list of eighty artists and made a list of their
ably raises other perspectives and lines of inquiry. We movements, including the place they moved to and
asked ourselves if an instrument like this could be the date. To contextualise their movements, we cre-
used to visualise information about migrations of art- ated a timeline with important or influential historical
ists in L’Internationale collections and how that infor- events. This historical timeline is given to comple-
mation could be interpreted. ment the artists’ biographies and speculate on their

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 21

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

possible reasons for migrations, whether it is eco- the cultural heritage of our institutions. Sometimes
nomic, political or personal. Both sets of data were art can tell us how migrating influenced an artist’s life,
included in the data visualisation. practice and perspectives on the world. As examples,
This data visualisation was designed by Joost you will find a text on one artwork from each collec-
Grootens who is specialised in this field in Amsterdam. tion featured on the map.
He used a map of the world and added the possibil- What we present here is a proposal. We welcome
ity to read the information in time. This connects the your thoughts and suggestions.
age of the artists and their movements with events
happening in the world and places becoming more [Link]
attractive to move to. The data visualisation that you
will find here is a first version. Christiane Berndes, Curator and Head
What can we learn from this data visualisation? of the Collection at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven,
What information does it generate and how can we and Joost Grootens, graphic designer
further develop it? Because the selection of artists is
essentially subjective, the resulting map gives only
a preliminary overview of the different cultures and
contexts the artists in our collections are and were
part of. Further development could involve adding
information about artists’ works in the different col-
lections and making a connection between the date
of migration, the date of production of the artwork and
the date of acquisition. It could also be interesting to
compare the migration of artists with broader pat-
terns of societal migration. What percentage of the
different migration streams corresponds to artists?
Through their artworks, varied cultures and con-
texts are represented in our collections and enrich

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 22

MAPPING COLLECTIONS

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 23

MAPPING COLLECTIONS

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 24

MAPPING COLLECTIONS

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 25

MAPPING COLLECTIONS

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 26

MAPPING COLLECTIONS

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 27

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Juan Downey
(Santiago de Chile, 1940 – New York, 1993)

Juan Downey focused on art’s approach to life, steer-

ing his work closer to experience than to the produc-
tion of objects. His installation Video Trans Americas
brings together a selection of videos he recorded on
the first stage of the trip he carried out around the
American continent from 1973 to 1976, with stops in
Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. In this
project, Downey sought to identify the common
values in different American cultures, offering the
viewer an interconnected map of America and a mir-
ror to discover some of its communities.
Pinochet’s coup d’état and the death of
President Allende in 1973 had a profound effect on
him at the outset of the journey, and his output took
on new interpretations governed by the political
situation. Despite the feeling of dislocation he expe-
Juan Downey
Video Trans Americas, 1976. Video installation: dimensions vari-
rienced and the dualism shared with exiles and immi-
able, edition 1/3. Betacam SP, black and white, sound. grants, Downey, who settled in New York at the end
Fourteen-channel video (Yucatán, 1973, 28’22”; Guatemala, 1973,
of the 1960s, remained strongly bound to his identity
27’30”; New York/Texas 1, 1974, 20’; New York/Texas 2, 1974, 20’;
La Frontera I, 1976, 14’18”; La Frontera II, 1976, 12’45”; Lima,
as a Chilean and maintained close contact with the
1975, 28’; Machu-Picchu, 1975, 28’; Uros I, 1975, 20’; Uros II, artistic and socio-political reality in his country.
1975, 20’; Nazca I, 1976, 10’08”; Nazca II, 1976, 10’08”; Inca I,
1976, 20’; Inca II, 1976, 20’; Betacam SP and DVD) and silhouette
of the map of America. Collection: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte
Cristina Cámara Bello, cinema and video curator at
Reina Sofía, Madrid. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 28

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Francesc Torres
(Barcelona, 1948)

Francesc Torres worked as an apprentice in his

father’s printing workshop and trained as a graphic
artist. In those years, the poverty of the cultural and
artistic scene in the Spanish dictatorship stimu-
lated many artists to leave the country: Paris and
New York were the most desirable destinations. In
1967, Francesc Torres moved to Paris to continue his
studies at the École des Beaux Arts and he became
an assistant to the artist Piotr Kowalski. During this
time, he began producing non-functional, indus-
trial work that followed the strategies of Minimalism
in its formal and material basis. Yet, the tumultuous
events of May 1968 redirected his activities and
Juan Downey
he worked on posters for the movement of workers
Lima, 1975. Still from the video installation and students until it collapsed under the force of de
Video Trans Americas. Collection: MACBA, Barcelona.
Gaulle’s conservative government. He moved back to
Spain to do his military service, something, which as
he stated, provided him with “first-hand insight into
military behaviour as well as a great deal of informa-
tion for my subsequent work”. Shortly after, he moved
to Chicago and then to New York, where he has lived
since 1974. He has had numerous solo exhibitions
in institutions such as the International Center of
Photography (New York), the Museo nacional centro

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 29

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

de arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), the Institut Valencia remains that denote civilisation and lack of civilisa-
d’Art Modern (Valencia), Massachusetts Institute of tion, speaking of the rationality or irrationality rooted
Technology, List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge, USA), in human beings.
Sala Rekalde (Bilbao), Arizona State University Art
Museum (Tempe, Arizona), Queens Museum of Art Antonia M. Perelló, Curator and Head of the Collection
(New York) and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona
(Ithaca, New York).
Living a political exile, the social repression that
Torres encountered during the Franco regime influ-
enced his later artistic production. The artist took a
local conflict as a paradigm: the Spanish Civil War
and the dictatorship as an expression of universal
and timeless violence. This thematic line has contin-
ued until the present, and is expressed in works such
as Residual Regions (1978), Belchite/ South Bronx: A
Trans-Cultural and Trans-Historical Landscape (1988)
and Oscura es la habitación donde dormimos (2007).
Torres associates the familiar experience of
resistance against fascism and the Franco dictator-
ship with the problem of collective memory and the
major role of the war as an expression of the confron-
tation between ideologies. He considers speed as a
condition of the battle, competition as sublimation of Francesc Torres
enmity in times of peace, and the symbols and signs Amnèsia-Memòria [Amnesia-Memory], 1991. Various dimensions.

of masculinity as expressions of threatening, domi- Iron, spotlight with copper pattern and print on cotton.
MACBA Collection. Government of Catalonia long-term loan
nating and destructive armament… Later, he turns © Francesc Torres, VEGAP, Barcelona, 2017. Photographer:
back towards archaic symbols and archaeological Rocco Ricci

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 30

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Ilya & Emilia Kabakov

Model of the “Ship
of Tolerance”, 2006.
115 x 186 x 52 cm. Bamboo,
hot melt, rope, textile.
Acquired in 2012.
Donation Ilya & Emilia
Kabakov. Collection: Van
Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 31

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov

(Dnepropetrovsk, Soviet Union, 1933 & 1945)

Ship of Tolerance is a project by Ilya and Emilia context. While Emilia immigrated in 1973 via Israel to
Kabakov that started in 2005 in Siwa, Egypt. Its goal New York, Ilya only moved in 1987, two years before
was to engage children and young adults from dif- the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism.
ferent cultures and backgrounds in a conversation Their collaboration only started in 1988.
about the meaning of tolerance and the appreciation Ilya Kabakov started his career in the 1950s as
of differences in cultures and ideas. With the help of an illustrator of children’s books. He was a member
local artists and art teachers, they translated their of the Union of Soviet Artists and as such he was
ideas into drawings that were used for the ship’s secured steady work and income, but had to accept
sails. The ship itself was built by student carpenters, censorship. Besides his ‘official art’, he started to
guided by carpenters from Manchester, UK. produce ‘unofficial art’ credited to an alter ego. His
From 2006, the ship travelled to cities like Venice, work has always been inspired by daily life and the
Sharjah, Miami, Havana, Moscow and New York. Each kafkaesque situations he experienced. Questioning
time local children and young adults were invited to and analysing ideologies, convinced him that author-
participate in workshops, discussing, drawing and itarian will to power always makes projects fail.
contributing to the creation of the sails, while hun- Against this background, the Ship of Tolerance proj-
dreds of visitors came by to learn about the project ect is a beautiful call for inclusiveness, open-mind-
and view the construction. Using the tremendous edness and respect as the basis for a shared world to
media coverage of their project, the Kabakovs were live in.
able to show how art can contribute to a world of peo-
ple that are curious about each other, respect differ- Christiane Berndes, Curator and Head of the Collection
ences and are able to learn from each other. at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
Born and educated in the Soviet Union in 1933
(Ilya) and 1945 (Emilia), the art of the Kabakovs
is deeply rooted in the Soviet social and cultural

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 32

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Babi Badalov
VOAIZOVA (War is Over), 2010. Collection: M HKA. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 33
 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Babi Badalov
(Lerik, Azerbaijan, 1959)

In 1980, Badi Badalov moved to Leningrad in the fragments from glasses and ballpoint pens arranged
Soviet Union where he lived until 1990. He was active in two areas on the floor, a colourful visual poem
in the city’s unofficial art scene and became a mem- based on a sequence of capital letters (VOAIZOVA)
ber of the independent artist group TEII, the Society and a voice rendering of the same sequence that
of Experimental Visual Art. Now he lives in England. (almost) sounds like the English phrase “war is over”.
Badalov’s work straddles the boundary between There is also a sketchbook, displayed on a podium,
visual art and poetry. Indeed he sometimes presents with additional visual poems, many of them based on
his work as ‘visual poetry’ and works with painting, a refined doodle aesthetic.
installation and performance as well as with experi-
mental and improvisational literary formats. The mix- Anders Kreuger, Curator at the Museum of
ing of different languages and orthographic systems Contemporary Art, Antwerp
and the combination of words and images is a signa-
ture of his work in all genres.
Badalov is dedicated to exploring the limits of
language and the limitations it imposes upon its
users. People leading nomadic lives – artists, but also
economic migrants or political refugees – will experi-
ence the struggles and rewards of cultural adaptation,
but can also find themselves prisoners of language.
Badalov plays with such situations to hint at broader
geopolitical issues.
M HKA acquired Badalov’s installation VOAIZOVA
(War is Over) (2010) in connection with the exhibition
series Europe at Large. The work consists of plastic

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 34

 MAPPING COLLECTIONS

Adrian Paci
(Shkoder, Albania, 1969)

Real Game, 1999

Video, 9’

Autobiography is the starting point of many of Adrian

Paci’s works, but rather than trying to describe the
experience of immigration through his own eyes, the
artist decided to use those of his daughter Jolanda.
Real Game is the sequel to his video Albanian
Stories (1997), a spontaneous ready-made, which
simply records an innocent, childish game and a
development of its reflections. Games and fairy tales
historically played a key role in people’s lives, bring-
ing out uncomfortable truths only partially camou-
flaged by fantasy. Under the appearance of another
common game – the artist pretends to be a teacher,
with Jolanda the pupil – topics such as immigration,
isolation and homesickness are raised again. Only in
this instance the language is far more ripe, the story
is better defined, and the references to animals and
other fantastic tales left out in favour of a primitive
form of self-consciousness and dry optimism.

Igor Španjol, Curator of Collection at Moderna galerija

and Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, Ljubljana

Adrian Paci, Real Game, 1999.

video stills. Collection: Moderna galerija, Ljubljana. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MAPPING COLLECTIONS – 35
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ATIF AKIN AND DILEK WINCHESTER
WITH NADIA AL ISSA, HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN,
KHALED BARAKEH AND PINAR ÖĞRENCI
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

Since the escalation of the war in Syria, millions of Ankara between 2015 and 2016. The title of this col-
people have left their homes, with a majority fleeing laborative project, Apricots from Damascus, is trans-
to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Public spaces in cit- lated from the Turkish “Şam’da Kayısı” that forms
ies like Istanbul, transformed by this climate of move- part of an idiomatic expression meaning “It doesn’t
ment and exile, encompass different possibilities for get any better than this.” The zines were printed in
encounters and interactions. The zine and exhibi- Arabic, English and Turkish. Apricots from Damascus
tion project, Apricots from Damascus, constructed by took place as an apexart franchise exhibition in col-
Dilek Winchester and Atıf Akın, pays homage to Andre laboration with SALT.
Breton’s statement “One publishes to find com- A selection of the zines, namely those by Atıf
rades!” and aims to create a multilingual environment Akın, Nadia Al Issa, Hera Büyüktaşçıyan and Dilek
for production and exchange. The participants of the Winchester, Khaled Barakeh and Pınar Öğrenci, that
project used the fanzine format to draw on personal most closely relate to the themes of this e-pubication
experiences, or on the relics of waves of immigration are reproduced here.
that took place in the recent history of the Republic of
Turkey, with a specific focus on Istanbul. The complete list of participants in Apricots from
Apricots from Damascus builds upon an earlier Damascus included: Atıf Akın, Nadia Al Issa, Marwa
zine project Apricot City A4, which was initiated in Arsanios, Khaled Barakeh, Sezgin Boynik, Hera
Istanbul by artist Winchester in 2010, and distributed Büyüktaşçıyan, Ergin Çavuşoğlu, Angela Harutyunyan,
by the local city PVC pushcart tenders. An unregu- Minna Henriksson, Armine Hovhannisyan, Marianna
lated, but tolerated business, these carts are part of Hovhannisyan, Güven İncirlioğlu (The Pope), Banu
Istanbul’s urban, informal economy, and are often Karaca, Pınar Öğrenci, Zeynep Öz, Aras Özgün, Dilek
operated by migrants from Eastern Anatolia, particu- Winchester and Fehras Publishing Practices.
larly Malatya, a region famous for its apricots.
In 2015 Winchester teamed up with one of the
original contributors, Akın, to collaborate on a new
zine and an exhibition program that was presented
at SALT Galata in Istanbul and later at SALT Ulus in

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 37

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

One publishes to find comrades! In Reflections on Exile Edward Said writes,

Andre Breton, 1920 1
“Modern Western culture is in large part the work of exiles, émigrés, refugees.
Apricots from Damascus is a publication and exhibition project about art in a state of In the United States, academic, intellectual, and aesthetic thought is what it is
mobility and exile, with a specific focus on İstanbul and current artist communities. today because of refugees from fascism, communism, and other regimes given
to the oppression and expulsion of dissidents.” 2
Since the escalation of the war in Syria, millions of people have left their homes,
with a majority fleeing to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Public spaces in İstanbul, Said’s reflections remain accurate in the age of global war today. He describes
transformed by this climate of mobility, encompass different possibilities for modern warfare, imperialism, and the quasi-theological ambitions of totalitarian
encounters and interactions. Apricots from Damascus aims to create a multilingual rulers, all of which precisely refer to the current, tragic situation in the Middle East.
on view at environment for art and cultural exchange. Said expresses particular interest in the creative character of exile, in that much
of life in exile is taken up with compensating for disorienting loss by creating a new
SALT Galata Between March 2010 and December 2011, artist Dilek Winchester founded and
published a zine called Apricot City A4 in İstanbul. Each issue of the zine was edited
world to rule. He observes, “It is not
surprising that so many exiles seem
İstanbul, Turkey and designed by a prominent, politically engaged artist or group, including Atıf
Akın. Apricot City A4, was reproduced and distributed throughout İstanbul by PVC
to be novelists, chess players, political
activists and intellectuals.” 3
Dec 23, 2015 - Feb 21, 2016 pushcarts, common mobile businesses that provide services such as photocopying,
lamination, and an assortment of knick knacks for sale. These car-battery-operated Said further relates his observation
pushcarts are part of the informal economy of İstanbul’s hyper-urban landscape, about the condition of exile to
their operators strolling around downtown and the historical peninsula in the occupations that require a minimal
daytime. Operators are commonly immigrants from Eastern Anatolia, the city of investment in objects, but rather
Malatya in particular, which is famous for its apricots. At the time, copies were place a great premium on mobility
printed and stapled on these modest portable pushcarts and sold, on demand, for a and skill, thereby suggesting that exile
few Liras. is implicitly tied up with movement.
Participants: Apricots from Damascus is the
Apricots from Damascus translates, in Turkish, to “Şam’da Kayısı.” Şam’da Kayısı expression of mobility and exile among
is part of an idiomatic expression meaning, “It does not get any better than this” contemporary artists.
Atıf Akın (Bundan iyisi, Şam’da kayısı). In most Romance languages, the word for ‘apricot’ is
Marwa Arsanios ‘damasco,’ which indicates that the sweet fruit was associated with Damascus, in With the birth of the Turkish Republic
Syria. The apricot, however, was also known in Armenia during ancient times, and in 1923, İstanbul lost much of its
Khaled Barakeh has been cultivated there. Its scientific name, Prunus armeniaca (Armenian plum) Babylonesque atmosphere, including
Sezgin Boynik derives from this origin. In Apricots from Damascus, the apricot – its origins and
history – symbolically represents the multilayered issues such as history of mobility
the loss of multilingual and multicultural
communities that had been the
Hera Büyüktaşcıyan and language in the region, that the project addresses and attributes a positive subjects of the Ottoman Empire.
connotation to the situation. However, over the last ninety years,
Ergin Çavuşoğlu
Cover image: Fehras Publishing Practices, Excerpt from Apricots from Damascus Issue 02, Berlin, 2015

the demographics of Turkey continued to be shaped by internal and international

Nadia Christidi waves of immigration, with İstanbul serving as a permanent or temporary base for
from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York

many exiles. Immigrants have made significant contributions to art, architecture,

Fehras Publishing Practices
apexart’s exhibitions and public programs are supported in part by the

Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and with public funds

State Council on the Arts. This exhibition is supported in part by SALT.

and humanities education in Turkey. Apricots from Damascus focuses on the

Angela Harutyunyan
Affirmation Arts Fund, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts,

art production of artists who make contact with İstanbul, whether permanently,
The Greenwich Collection Ltd., Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides

temporarily, from within, or outside it. In this particular historical moment, this
Minna Henriksson community is expanding and shrinking in waves that reflect mobility caused by war-
For more information, visit: [Link] or
[Link] Contact: delicious@[Link]

Armine Hovhannisyan related displacement, and economic and climate change.

You can support what we do at [Link]/[Link]

Marianna Hovhannisyan
and does not engage in sales or sales-related activities.

Artists commissioned for the project created original content for the zines,
Apexart Curatorial Program

approaching issues in ways that relate to their respective bodies of work. There are
Güven İncirlioğlu (The Pope)
Douaa Sheet, Superpool Architecture, Christine Tohmé, Hillit Zwick
apexart is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization

a number of reoccurring themes, including the analysis and investigation of historical

291 church street new york, ny 10013

Güven Incirlioglu, Emre Koyuncu, Maha Maamoun, Zeynep Öz,

Banu Karaca
Thanks To: [Link], Rasha Arabi, Ali Emre Dogramacı, Hamisch,

trade routes leading from the Middle East to Europe, as well as cultural and ecological
Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition
info@[Link] [Link]

metaphors around these routes; the history of migration and exile in modern İstanbul;
Pınar Öğrenci and language and translation and representation of contemporary identity. Apricots
Zeynep Öz from Damascus engages publication as an artistic practice in an effort to connect
through cultural commons, or the shared interdisciplinary knowledge acquired by
Aras Özgün
apexart is a registered trademark.

varied communities. The first stage of the project involves commissioning artists to
Dilek Winchester produce zines, which will be distributed in İstanbul’s public space through alternative
means of distribution, including the PVC pushcarts. Zines will be published in three
languages: Arabic, Turkish, and English. These three languages are important to
correlate the artists, issues and the audience of the project. The project culminates
t: 212.431.5270

Güven Incirlioglu, B&W Photography, Izmir, 2015

with an exhibition hosted by SALT, İstanbul, in December 2015, where the zines,
ISBN: 978-1-933347-87-5

Though the term ‘refugee’ is often regarded as a technical and political term with artworks about the themes explored in the zines, and documentation of the project
bureaucratic connotations, it accurately represents the stated condition: a refugee will be displayed. The exhibition space will serve as a social space where – exiled or
apexart © 2015

is a person seeking refuge. We acknowledge the differences and specificities of settled – artists in İstanbul will come together.
the terms refugee, immigrant, and expatriate; however, Edward Said’s thoughts Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester © 2015
on ‘exile’ are very relevant to the context of this project therefore we use it as an Franchise Program Winner 2015-16
apexart-istanbul all-embracing term. 1

2, 3
Branwyn, G. (1997) Jamming The Media, Chronicle Books
Said, E. (2000) Reflections on Exile and Other Essays, Harvard University Press

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 38

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ISSUE 1
NADIA AL ISSA
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

This artwork is produced on the occasion of Apricots from Damascus

[Link]

Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition organized by

Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester. For more information, visit us at
[Link]

Contact
delicious@[Link]

Graphic Design: Ali Emre Doğramacı

Translation: Rasha Arabi
ctober 2015

Issue 01 b
apexart - istanbul

, O

y Nadia Al Issa, Cambridge, MA

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

B is for Terminology and discourse surrounding identity and relocation – or dislocation -

are replete with references to botany. One hears, for instance, of the pull of roots,
the cross-fertilization of cultures, the dispersal of immigrants, and – derogatorily

Botany
- germinating refugee crises and the need to weed out refugees. A reflection on
such terms presents an opportunity to consider what these linguistic crossovers
might inform of. Why has identity been rooted in the botanical and how is it being
figured as a result? What purpose might such a figuration serve? Could it, for

as I is for
instance, work to render natural or unnatural diasporic conditions? What political
implications does this naturalization or denaturalization have? What might an
attempt to think identity, belonging and displacement together with plants -
metaphorically or literally - yield?

Identity:
The modern English verb ‘to plant’ originates from the Latin plantare,
meaning ‘to plant, fix in a place.’ Combined with prefixes like re- or trans-,
the word hints at a newfound but labored mobility that defies its original
fastening. At the level of the literal, stasis and mobility also characterize the
plant kingdom. While some plants are endemic or restricted to particular

Reading,
natural ecosystems, others, at the opposite end of the spectrum, enjoy a
cosmopolitan distribution over most, if not all, appropriate ecosystems
throughout the world. Moreover, plants are distributed and introduced
1

2
between ecosystems by wind, water, human and non-human animals, and
within these ecosystems, they may harmoniously thrive, invasively take over,

Writing
or fail to take root. Trafficking in plants, both physically and metaphysically,
thus opens up a clearing for considering connections between different
forms of mobility, immobility, and their governance - be they in plant
pollination, agricultural breeding, conservation technologies, or the cross-
border circulation of human bodies. These re-arrangements of life produce

and Act-
transplantations at all scales – from the minute to the monumental – that
can be mapped genetically, taxonomically and/or geographically.

The following is an attempt to not only think with plants but also with acts of planting.
Planting is construed within it as creative labor with potential political potency. Such

ing with
a construction builds on planting’s intertwined history with citizen activism, which
includes the top-down victory gardens that emerged during WWI and WWII to relieve
national economies from the pressures of food production and the bottom-up urban
community gardens that provide alternatives in the present to the hegemony of global

Plants
agribusiness. Beyond their utilitarianism, planting acts like cross-pollination or cross-
fertilization are read as modes of intervening into the present status quo, imagining
the future, and proposing other possibilities.
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

alien cultivation.’ germinate home-grown adjective naturalize |ˈnatʃ(ə)rəlʌɪz| person) begin

|ˈeɪlɪən| In late |ˈdʒəːmɪneɪt| verb grown or produced in (also naturalize) verb 1 [with to have a settled life in
adjective Middle [no object] (of a one’s own garden or country object] (often be/become a particular place. ORIGIN:
belonging to a English seed or spore) • belonging to one’s own naturalized) admit (a for- Late Old English rōt, from Old
foreign country • the begin to grow particular locality or country. eigner) to the citizenship of a Norse rót; related to Lat-
(of a plant or animal sense and put out country • [no object] (of in radix, also to wort.
species) introduced from was ‘cultivation of the soil’ shoots after hybrid |ˈhʌɪbrɪd| noun 1 the off- a foreigner) be admitted
another country and later natu- and from this (early 16th a period of spring of two plants or animals of to the citizenship of terrestrial |təˈrɛstrɪəl|
ralized noun a foreigner, especially century), arose ‘cultivation dormancy • different species or vari- a country 2 (usually noun an inhabitant of the
one who is not a naturalized citizen (of the mind, faculties, or [with object] eties 2 a thing made by as adjective natural- earth. ORIGIN: Late Middle
of the country where he or manners).’ cause (a seed combining two different ized) establish (a plant or English (in the sense ‘temporal,
she is living • a plant or spore) to ger- elements. ORIGIN: animal) so that it lives wild in a worldly, mundane’): from Latin
or animal species diaspore |ˈdʌɪəspɔː| noun minate • come into Early 17th century (as a region where it is not indigenous terrestris
originally intro- a spore, seed, or oth- er existence and develop. noun): from Latin hybrida • (with reference to a cultivated (from terra
duced from another structure that functions in ORIGIN: Late 16th century: from ‘offspring of a tame sow and plant) establish or become ‘earth’).

Glossary*
country and later plant dispersal; a propa- Latin germinat- ‘sprouted forth, wild boar, child of a freeman established in a natural situation.
naturalized. ORIGIN: gule. diaspora |dʌɪˈasp(ə) budded’, from the verb germinare, and slave, etc.’ ORIGIN: Mid 16th century: from transplant
Middle English: via rə| noun the dispersion or from germen, germin- ‘sprout, French naturaliser, from Old |transˈplɑːnt,
Old French from Latin spread of any people from seed.’ indigenous |ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs| French natural. trɑːns-, -nz-| verb
alienus ‘belonging to their original homeland adjective originating or [with object] move or
another,’ from alius ‘other.’ • people who have graft |grɑːft| verb [with object occurring naturally parasite |ˈparəsʌɪt| noun 1 an or- transfer (someone or
spread and adverbial] 1 insert (a shoot in a particular place ganism which lives in or on another something) to another place
cross-fertilize verb 1 [with or been or twig) as a graft • in- • native to the organism (its host) and benefits or situation • replant (a plant) in
object] fertilize (a plant) using dispersed sert a graft on (a trunk area, not in- by deriving nutrients at the other’s another place. ORIGIN: Late Mid-
pollen from another plant of the from their or stem) 2 combine or troduced, expense 2 a person who habitually dle English (as a verb describing
same species • [no object] (of two homeland. integrate (an idea, sys- and not relies on or exploits the repositioning of a plant):
plants) fertilize each other 2 stim- ORIGIN: Greek, from tem, etc.) with another, typically necessarily others and gives noth- from late Latin transplantare,
ulate the development of (some- diaspeirein ‘disperse,’ in a way considered inappropri- confined to the ing in return. ORIGIN: from Latin trans- ‘across’ +
3

4
thing) with an exchange of from dia ‘across’ + ate. ORIGIN: Late Middle English region discussed Mid 16th century: via plantare ‘to plant.’
ideas or information. ORI- speirein ‘scatter.’ The term graff, from Old French grafe, via or present Latin from Greek
GIN (fertile): Late Middle originated in the Septuagint Latin from Greek graphion ‘stylus, throughout it (hardly distinct from parasitos ‘(person) uproot |ʌpˈruːt| verb [with
English: via French (Deuteronomy 28:25) in writing implement’ (with ‘native’ but usually applied to a eating at another’s object] 1 pull (something,
from Latin fertilis, from the phrase esē diaspora reference to the ta- pered smaller area).** ORIGIN: Mid 17th table,’ from para- especially a tree or plant)
ferre ‘to bear.’ en pasais basileias tēs tip of the scion), from century: from Latin indigena ‘a ‘alongside’ + sitos out of the ground 2 move
gēs ‘thou shalt be a graphein ‘write.’ native.’ ‘food.’ (someone) from their home
cross-pollinate dispersion in all king- or a familiar location.
verb [with object] doms of the earth.’ habItat |ˈhabɪtat| native |ˈneɪtɪv| noun 1 a person root |ruːt| noun 1 the
pollinate (a flower noun the natural home or born in a specified place or as- part of a plant which weed |wiːd| verb [with object] 1
or plant) with endemic |ɛnˈdɛmɪk| environment of an animal, plant, sociated with a place by birth, attaches it to the remove unwanted plants from
pollen from another adjective 1 (of a or other organism. ORIGIN: Late whether subsequently resident ground or to a support, (an area of ground) 2 (weed
flower or plant. disease or condition) 18th century: from Latin, literally ‘it there or not • a local inhabitant typically underground, someone/thing out) remove an
regularly found among dwells’, from habitare. • (dated, often offensive) a conveying water and inferior or unwanted compo-
culture |ˈkʌltʃə| noun particular people or in a non-white original inhabitant nourishment to the rest of the nent of a group
1 the ideas, customs, and certain area 2 (of a plant or of a country, as regarded by plant via numerous branches and or collection.
social behavior of a particular animal) native or restricted European colonists or fibers 2 the basic cause, source, ORIGIN: Old
peo- ple or society 2 the to a certain place • having a travelers 2 an animal or origin of something • (roots) English wēod
cultivation of plants. natural distribution restricted or plant indigenous family, ethnic, or cultural origins, (noun), wēo-
ORIGIN: Middle to a particular geographic to a place • naturally especially as the reasons for one’s dian (verb),
English (denoting a region.** ORIGIN: Mid 17th occurring in an area, but long-standing emotional of unknown
cultivated piece of century (as a noun): from not necessarily confined attachment to a place or origin;
land): the noun from French endémique or modern to it.** ORIGIN: Late Middle community phrases: put related
French culture or Latin endemicus, from Greek English: from Latin nativus, down roots (of a plant) begin to Dutch
directly from Latin endēmios ‘native’ (based on from nat- ‘born’, from the to draw nourishment from wieden
cultura ‘growing, dēmos ‘people’). verb nasci. the soil through its roots • (of a (verb).

*Unless otherwise noted, all definitions are taken from the Oxford Dictionary of English
**Definitions taken from the Wikipedia Glossary of Botanical Terms
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

Cross-pollination between different Cross-pollination can take place Background Information on Plant Reproduction* NB: For the sake of simplicity, the guidelines below are for
perfect flowers.
flowering plants occurs when one naturally, as wind, bees, or butterflies Before delving into cross-pollination, it is important
plant pollinates with another plant carry the pollen of one plant to to understand the basics of plant reproduction. Plant 1 Find two different flowering plants that belong to the same
reproduction most often entails the fusion of a male and genus. To ensure that the flowers you choose for cross-
from the same genus. For instance, another, or as a consequence of a female germ cell. The fusion produces a seed, which pollination have not already pollinated, use flowers that have
plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, human intervention. Though its eventually develops into an offspring plant. Reproduction in not yet opened.
plants takes place within the flower, where the reproductive
and apricots belong to the genus particulars remained a mystery until organs - the stamen and the pistil – are located. (see fig. 1) 2 Choose a flower from one plant that will serve as the male
Prunus and therefore have the potential the 1860s, selective plant breeding parent – the parent flower that will provide the pollen - and
The anther, found at the top of the stamen, produces from the other a flower that will serve as the female parent
to cross-pollinate. As cross-pollination was practiced for thousands of years. pollen grains, which contain the male germ cells; the ovary, – the parent flower that will receive the pollen. Make sure to
unfolds, the different plants’ genetic In 1865, Gregor Mendel, who had been found at the base of the pistil, holds ovules, which contain choose a male parent that has heavy yellow powder on its
the female germ cells. Pollination is the process by which anthers and a female parent that has a glistening stigma that
materials intermix and eventually experimenting with hybridizing peas, pollen is transferred, by natural or artificial means, from the is sticky or hairy to the touch. Mark each flower with a thread
result in a hybrid that exhibits qualities formulated his laws of inheritance, anther to the stigma at the top of the pistil. This takes place of a different color to keep track of its role.
after the anther matures and splits open, making the pollen
from both of the original varieties thus establishing the field of genetics grains accessible. (see fig. 2) 3 To prepare the female parent, you must first protect it from
but is a unique variety in and of itself. and transforming cross-pollination self-pollinating by incapacitating its stamens. Gently open
Fertilization, which follows pollination, occurs when the the flower by hand and pinch off its stamens or anthers with
Hybridization is not expressed in the into a scientific endeavor. The pollen that has reached the stigma develops a tube that tweezers. (see fig. 4) Use your magnifying glass to assist you
first generation of fruits borne; rather, following is a step-by-step guide to extends down the style and into the ovule. Within the ovule, in this process if needed. Clean your tweezers with rubbing
the female and male germ cells fuse and develop into a alcohol before proceeding.
it appears in the fruits grown from the cross-pollinating that will enable you to seed. (see fig. 3)
first generation’s seeds. make your own hybrids. 4 Next, you must protect both parents from contamination
There are three types of flowers – perfect, imperfect, and from foreign pollen by covering each of the flowers with a

How to
composite. Perfect flowers are the most common kind and cellophane bag. Fasten the bags at the bottom with paper
contain both the stamen and pistil within a single flower. clips or threads. (see fig. 5)
(see fig. 1) These flowers are capable of self-pollinating. An
imperfect flower contains either the stigma or the pistil. 5 Uncover the male parent and remove its stamens or
5

6
Imperfect flowers that contain the stigma are staminate anthers using your clean tweezers. Place these stamens or
flowers while those that contain the pistil are pistillate anthers in a sealed plastic container. (see fig. 6)
flowers. Staminate and pistillate flowers may grow on the

Cross-Pollinate
same plant or on separate ones and require each other to 6 Now uncover the female parent. Hold one of the male
pollinate. Composite flowers are made up of clusters of parent’s stamens or anthers with your tweezers and softly
flowers or florets that look like petals and that are joined brush the anther across the female parent’s stigma.
together in a flower head. The florets can contain both (see fig. 7) Cover the female parent again.
reproductive organs (disc florets) or only the pistil (ray
florets). Composite flowers are made up of a cluster of only 7 Once this process has been completed, fertilization
disc florets or of both disc and ray florets. takes place and seeds develop that you can then harvest.

Different Flower-
If the plants chosen do not yield fruits or vegetables, you
Cross-Pollination Instructions can harvest the seeds when the female parent’s seedpod
becomes dry or begins to split open. (see fig. 8) If the plants
Materials: chosen yield fruits or vegetables, the seeds will be ready
- String (2 different colors) for harvesting when the fruit/vegetable has ripened and
- Tweezers its seed-bearing parts have reached maturity. Place the
- Magnifying glass harvested seeds in a packet. Store the packet in a warm
- Rubbing alcohol place for the first week and then keep the seeds in a cool,

ing Plants to Pro-

- Cellophane bags dry area. Once you are ready, plant your harvested seeds
- Paper clips and watch your hybrid grow.
- Small plastic container

duce Hybrids
*The sections ‘Background Information on Plant Reproduction’ and ‘Cross-Pollination
Instructions,’ as well as accompanying illustrations, are based on the circular “Plant Breeding
as a Hobby” by J.D. Butler and N.F. Oebker at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It can be accessed at:
[Link]
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ISSUE 6
ATIF AKIN
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

This artwork is produced on the occasion of Apricots from Damascus

[Link]

Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition organized by

Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester. For more information, visit us at
Apricots from
Apricots from
[Link]

Damascus Issue 06
Contact
delicious@[Link]

Apricots fro

The Damascus R
m
apexart - istanbul
2015

o om
e r

by Atıf Akın, New York, Novemb

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 45
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 46

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 47

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 48

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 49

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 50

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ISSUE 7
PINAR ÖĞRENCI
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

This article, published in Art Unlimited and Radikal in February 2015, revised for Apricots from Damascus.
Images are acquired from the facebook pages of the artists with their permission.
[Link] Apricots fro

m Damascus Issue 07
Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition organized by
Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester. For more information, visit us at “Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their
[Link] discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and
everything conceals something else.”
Contact Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
delicious@[Link]

Among the cultural centers of the The last movie of Kiarostami’s “Koker Trilogy” Through the Olive
East, Istanbul has become almost the Trees, produced in 1994, focuses on the impact of the 1990 Iran
only center where different people can Earthquake on the daily lives of the affected villagers. The leading
live together. The tense and unstable character of the movie Hüseyin, a construction worker, is in love with
relations among the Middle Eastern Tahire. His proposals are constantly turned down on the grounds
countries affect people’s freedom of that he is uneducated and does not own a house. On the night of an
travel. It is almost impossible for an ordinary day in which his insistent proposals keep being turned down,
Iranian to go and live in Jerusalem, an earthquake hits the village tumbling everything down. In the movie
for a Saudi Arabian or Egyptian to intertwining reality with fiction, Hüseyin and Tahire have to work on
live in Tehran… Baghdat is being the same movie set (Kiarostami frequently works with unprofessional
reconstructed after the war, but it actors and actresses and writes his scripts after getting to know
has not yet fully recovered. Aleppo them). In the famous road sequence in which Hüseyin talks with the
is almost destroyed, and Damascus director, he says that his lack of a house was thrown into his face so
is in the throes of despair. Gaza was many times that his very sadness might have led to the earthquake.
under fire until very recently. Given After the earthquake Tahire does not have a house any more nor does
these circumstances, İstanbul, the rest of the village. Now Hüseyin thinks that everybody is all equal.
which is still a safe center, is bound
2015

to host all the refugees and help the When I went back one evening to Van, the city where I grew up, after
artists, scientists, and intelectuals the earthquake, all I did was to try to find my sister and her family.
from the region heal. This might be They had been living in a decently comfortable apartment downtown,
an opportunity for Istanbul to reach but everything changed suddenly with the earthquake. Now they were
the cultural diversity it used to have. living in a small and dim tent on the coast of Lake Van with tens of
apexart - istanbul

Syrians think that they resemble Turks strangers. I cannot forget that night we spent in the tent under heavy
more than the citizens of any of the Arab countries. And we, how rain. A month later, they took refuge in a container and spent the rest
unfamiliar we are with this culture at our elbow! Is not it about of the year here including the whole winter. They had to send away
time that we take a more careful look at this culture that we the children to İzmir to my mother’s house because they could not
have been increasingly approaching only from the perspective of endure the living conditions in the container. However, this did not
denominations and realize its true richness? really protect them from dealing with many physical and psychological
ber

problems for months. Disasters such as earthquakes and wars equate

Like Zaza said, despite the houses tumbling down on us, love is the lives of everyone in the negative sense. Having lost their house,
still growing… their belongings, and the worst of all, their dreams about the future,
millions of people share the same destiny. Syrians who had to leave
Translated by: Douaa Sheet their countries after the war are now dispersed over many countries.
In this essay, I will talk about a specific group
among those immigrants whom we tend the code
m

as Arabs or Syrians and reduce them to their

desperate existence on the streets: Syrian artists.
by Pınar Öğrenci, İstanbul, Nove
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 52
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Mohammad Zaza (Riyadh, 1987), Toufic Hamidi (Aleppo, 1988) came to İstanbul in March, 2014. His family still
of Kurdish origin, had grown up in lives in Aleppo, but Toufic found a flat for himself in Aynalıçeşme. Toufic had
Saudi Arabia and moved to Syria at been studying lithography and was still a student when the war broke out. He
the age of 18. Zaza came to İstanbul came to İstanbul immediately after graduating and still lives here.
one and half year ago and now lives
in an apartment in Sıraselviler. The
day I went to his atelier was really
cold, and his heating system was
not working. Zaza had set up a stove
in the middle of his atelier and piled
a tack of firewood before the wall.
When I asked about what changed the
most in his paintings after moving to
İstanbul, his response was “colors”.
He told me that he was fascinated by
the light coming through the clouds
constantly moving in the sky and the
subsequently changing colors, and
that he found İstanbul quite inspiring.
Nowadays Zaza is preparing for his
upcoming solo exhibition in İstanbul.

Toufic: First of all, what this process means to me is my constant discovery of

myself through art. I am feeling the wartime and its aftermath on a personal
level. This is what happens when I look back at my country and the images
coming from there after I left there. At the same time, when I see what
comes from there within the framework of truth, I can’t help ask myself “How
can I present what I myself have?” Above all, I would like to give a positive
impression about everything we used to have back there. Displacement has
both positive and negative consequences. The spirit of the city one moves to
and the language problems are some examples I can mention. But at the end
of the day everything is up to the artist and his or her personal effort. After all,
war made everything more transparent and real. I know more about myself
and my family because of the warfare and its daily details.

Zaza: As I was working on a text, I got stuck with the Arabic word “hawa”
which means “razed to the ground”, and it provoked and inspired me. Later
I kept going on with my work, but my mind kept revolving around this word.
As I turned back to my text, I was hearing the “music” of this word that
goes beyond its literal meaning. This made me rethink the notion of poetry,
identity and names. Then over time I have come to believe more strongly that
this word was inert and that it was opposed to the idea of change altogether.
And now… I am painting. “Love is still growing, but the humanity could not
yet see it.”

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 53

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Maher Abdo (Idlib, 1984) first studied sculpture and then drama. He worked as a set and stage designer for movies and TV for some time but later turned back
to painting and sculpture. He had stayed in Egypt for a while after the war broke out and worked for a movie project there before coming to İstanbul. Maher’s
family migrated to Hatay. I visited him at his atelier on the basement floor of a well-preserved building in Kurtuluş. He was so happy that he eventually had
an atelier. In our conversation he underlined the significance of “place” and pointed that those who were displaced gets deprived of an important part of
their character and that these faces of deprivation increasingly resemble each other over time. He thrusted into my hands a jar of honey with ginger as I was
leaving. His eyes were full of life and he was hopeful about İstanbul. Maher now lives in a small town called Sulzbach Rozenberg in southern Germany. He is
planning to move to Munich after getting his residence permit and is nowadays working on his German.

Amjad Wardeh (Damascus, 1984) came to Istanbul Istanbul has a magic Middle est Maher: I moved to Egypt after leaving Syria but I did
and found a flat in Bomonti, while his family settled Istanbul is love not stay there for long. This is because I could not
in Gaziantep. He said that many landlords in his get a hold of other Syrian artists living around the
neighborhood treat Syrian people more cautiously Egypt border. I could not get their support. Then I
than others and ask them twice the regular deposit came here and as a matter of fact, the conditions
amount, a treatment that he heard from many of Mybe here lm save more here has been much better both in terms of human
his friends. Amjad travelled a lot since we met. He But i don’t have good live and job relations and the atmosphere in the streets. From
went to Gaziantep, Bodrum, Midilli, Viyana, but now my perspective the problem is that the war in Syria
he lives in Frankfurt. is not yet over. There is a great ambiguity and
mystery about what the future is going to be like.
Amjad: I can say that migration has had a great
impact on my production style and the issues
I work on. On almost all of my canvases, grey is
almost naturally the dominant color, but I started to
creat a stronger contrast with warm colors. When
the revolutionary movement in Syria began in 2013,
everything was so peaceful and my works used to
reflect this inclination. As much as I try to keep
myself immune to what is going on in my country,
one can say that it is possible to see all that on my
canvas.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 54

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

I first met with Arabic culture when I was learning to read Quran during my primary school
years. I was learning to read and write in Turkish and to read Quran in Arabic at the
same time. All I was learning was merely how to read the Quran but I had to read it
according to the established rules for artistic reading, that is, to read with emotion by
raising and lowering my voice and emphasizing certain sounds when needed. Incidentally,
our closest family friend was an Arabic family selling fabrics for a living, who had moved to
Van from Siirt. They could speak Turkish very well, but they would prefer Arabic for daily
conversations. My mother brought to our kitchen different spices and many traditional
Arabic dishes she had learned from our Arabic neighbors. My father had a lot of merchant
friends and we used to know a lot of Arabic people like Nazife whose fascinating recitals
of the Mevlid I cannot forget. My father would sometimes invite his Iranian, Arabic, Israeli
customers for dinner and ask my mother to cook something special for them. My mother
would sometimes get upset with these sudden requests but she also loved meeting new
people. People at the dinner table would somehow communicate despite the lack of a
shared language. Now I understand that travelling all round Anatolia as a merchant earned
my father a certain merchant ethics. He used to love meeting new people regardless of
their religion and ethnicity.

When I set to prepare an issue focusing on Syrian artists living in İstanbul, we had to
decide how and where we would get together with the participants. My immediate solution
without a second thought was to meet around a dinner table at the atelier in Osmanbey.
Gathering people around the same dinner table was a reflex that I inherited from my father,
and I suppose everybody enjoyed it. Thinking more about it later I felt even more justified
about dining together with these five artists who were dispersed all over Istanbul and
lived with the risk of finding themselves in totally new conditions overnight, because it
was a quite a problem for them to communicate and get involved with the artist circles in
İstanbul. The musical tone of Arabic was breaking the ice between us. We were trying not
to talk about the war as much as possible, but the war, with its grave reality, was ripping
our conversation into pieces.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 55
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Naser Nassan Agha (Idlib, 1961) lives in Beylikdüzü. He moved to Turkey with his family
and has two children. He represents a different generation from the other four Syrian
artists, all of whom belong to the 80’s. In our conversation he shared his views of the
works of younger artists. Naser employs elements of architecture and urban materials
in his works. He finds the urban tissue of İstanbul as a historical city very familiar but
he has been avoiding historical references lately. He went to Germany for an exhibition
project a while ago, and he is planning to come back to Istanbul in spring.

My dear friend Pınar

Im in Germany now

You are in the heart

Naser: “For how long are you going to put up with us, the Syrians?”

Naser: What needs to be done now is to put art as an honest and honorable way of
communication before politics and to employ it as a means of bringing people together.
The war and its social consequences prevent people from leading a decent life. The
destruction inflicted by the dark forces ignores event the most basic human rights. We,
as a small group of friends, are trying to continue art despite all the difficulties. We even
had an exhibition showcasing the beauties of the Syrian culture and history. However,
the majority of these people are no longer living and we are waiting here as a couple of
friends. Our dream is still living on the shattered sidewalks of cold cities. In fact, all we
wanted was a little bit of warmth.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 56
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

For all the artists, İstanbul, Damascus, and Aleppo all resemble one another. It is clear
that they are not unfamiliar with the architectural elements and the urban planning of
İstanbul. The oriental, unplanned development under the influence of communal relations
and the process of modernization in the 20th century are common characteristics of
oriental centers of culture and commerce such as Istanbul, Baghdad, Damascus, and
Cairo. Residential areas organized around mosques and public areas such as covered
bazaar, bedesten, and hammam are only some of the common historical references
between them. The artists indicated that the social life in Istanbul resembled their lives
in Syria very much and that they felt home when shopping, ordering food, or walking in the
streets although they could not speak Turkish.

Bilal Alirıza, who shot a documentary with Syrian artists, remarked that this
similarity between the cities made life easier for the artists but they have
difficulty integrating themselves into the İstanbul art community when they
communicate only with one another.

Istanbul is getting more diverse demographically as it gets closer to the sky and turns into
a big mass of concrete. Syrians in İstanbul are scattered around various neighborhoods.
As Bilal Aliriza noted, the artists are employing a similar kind of center-periphery
arrangement to that in Syria. Those living in the periphery prefer uptown neighborhoods like
Beylikdüzü; the rich prefer Nişantaşı; the lower-middle class prefers Aksaray, Yusufpaşa,
Karagümrük, and Vefa; and the lowest class prefers neighborhoods like Ikitelli. The same
distribution also holds for artists. For instance, Mohammad Zaza lives in Taksim, while
Nase Nassan Agha lives in Beylikdüzü. What happens in the Anatolian cities is quite
different. For instance, in the absence of a class based distinction, Syrians living in
Gazientep concentrate around certain neighborhoods. In these cities the refugees face
a much greater resistance compared to İstanbul, and this social pressure forces them to
stay close to one another.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 57
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ISSUE 8
HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

December 2015
This artwork is produced on the occasion of Apricots from Damascus
[Link] Apricots from Dam

as c
Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition organized by
ul,
Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester. For more information, visit us at
[Link]
b
Contact

us Issue 08 Dedicated t
delicious@[Link]
Istan
You have got a letter from Ivi Stangali

Ivi Stangali is an artist who was trained and later worked at Bedri
Rahmi Eyüboğlu atelier at the academy between 1942-1949 and
1949-1964 respectively. She is one of the founder members of
the Group On’lar established in 1947. Stangali was expelled from
Büyüktaşcıyan,

Turkey during the 1964 expulsions which resulted in the expulsion

of twelve thousand Greeks, and she lived in Athens for the rest of
her life. The only available resources on her artistic production are
the books she illustrated. Among these books are Ütopya [Utopia]
(1986), Ateş Yakmak [Lighting A Fire] (1953), Cüceler Çarşısı
[Dwarf Market](1955), and İlyada Destanı [The Iliad](1962). Her
most famous works are the illustrations she drew for the Turkish
translation of the Iliad by Azra Erhat and A. Kadir. Hera
Büyüktaşçıyan and Dilek Winchester have taken two exhibitions,
“20 Dollars, 20 Kilos” and “Letters from Bedri Rahmi Eyüpoğlu
and His Contemporaries- We Used to Write Letters”, as points of
apexart - istanbul

experience of being in exile, in a letter she wrote to her professor

immediately after coming to Athens, dated 10 November, 1964 .
There is no evidence that she continued with her artistic produc-
tions afterwards. Due to her identity and gender, she has been
made invisible. The traces of her artistic practice remain hidden
among book pages without much tangible data elsewhere. “The
Iliad”, which Stangali illustrated, addresses the displaced humanity
but it also bears the traces of the displacement of an artist who

a space of belonging for herself in the social, political and emo-

tional sense.
a

This work is dedicated to the memory of Ivi Stangali. o Iv

r

i Stangali by Dilek Winchester & He

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 59
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

November 10th, 1964 I don’t want to get to know the people around here,
I am always busy with the things in Istanbul.
Studio... Home... Mühürdar coast, the sound of
My dear professor, seagulls, the pigeons on Saynur’s roof... No sea, no
pigeons, no seagull sound, no cats for twenty days.
It’s been twenty days since I arrived here, and I
could not write a single line to you. Who knows
what you thought about that! In fact, I am having
difficulty writing now, too. I have a terrible vacuum Thus did they make their moan throughout the city, while
inside me, I cannot get involved with anything... the Achaeans when they reached the Hellespont went back
Athens is a beautiful city, but not under these every man to his own ship.
conditions. No home, no sea, both of which I am
terribly longing for. I could paint, but my paints
are in İstanbul. They are too expensive here, and I
don’t have a place either.

As some wooded mountain-spur that stretches across a

plain will turn water and check the flow even of a great
river, nor is there any stream strong enough to break
through it- even so did the two Ajaxes face the Trojans and
stern the tide of their fighting though they kept pouring on
towards them and foremost among them all was Aeneas son
of Anchises with valiant Hector.

Many people were crying on the plane, and I, more

than others. But as soon as we started descending
to the Athens Airport, everybody started laughing,
joking around with one another. And I, how can I
say, I felt something like death.

A thousand camp-fires gleamed upon the plain, and in the

glow of each there sat fifty men, while the horses, champing
oats and corn beside their chariots, waited till dawn should
come.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 60

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

They had a compassionate countenance, an excessively

compassionate one, and were talking to me as though
I was something fragile.

All day long from morn till eve, was I falling, till at
sunset I came to ground in the island of Lemnos, and there
I lay, with very little life left in me, till the Sintians came
and tended me.

Journalists surrounded us with their flashing

cameras, constantly taking photos. I was able to
avoid them by turning my back, but Maya could not
save herself. She was the one whom they bothered
the most, and showing her to one another, they were
saying “A dangerous person for Turkey” and laughing
all together.

...for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon I don’t want to know anyone. I was able to get to
the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had know only a lady. This lady reminded me of Aliye
dishonoured Chryses his priest. Now Chryses had come to Hanım. She is a singer, now over fifty; she is making
the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter... little money but she is still singing. This lady
directed me to an editor, actually she introduced
me to the editor. The editor will direct me to a
publishing house. I have with me the books that I
illustrated; I will show these to them.

Can we hope to find helpers hereafter, or a wall to shield

us more surely than the one we have? There is no strong
city within reach, whence we may draw fresh forces to turn
the scales in our favour. We are on the plain of the armed
Trojans with the sea behind us, and far from our own
country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our
hands and in hard fighting.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 61

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

I have been searching for a way to go back to

İstanbul, but I came to the following conclusion: I How is Nedim doing? How come he did not call? I
have to work and make some money first because you will write to Saynur, too. I wrote to auntie, and
cannot return anywhere without money, be it Paris, I received her reply yesterday. She says that she
Bulgaria, or directly İstanbul. had been ill for so long, and she was very worried.
She is cleaning up and ventilating the house for my
return.

“Why, son of Peleus, do you, who are but man, give chase Tell me about there at length. How are you doing,
to me who am immortal? Have you not yet found out that it who are you seeing, what are you getting angry with,
is a god whom you pursue so furiously? You did not harass what is making you happy?...
the Trojans whom you had routed, and now they are within
their walls, while you have been decoyed hither away from Please do not be angry with me because I could not
them. Me you cannot kill, for death can take no hold upon write you until now... I am very very bad, I cannot
me.” express.

When he had thus spoken his eyes were closed in death, his
soul left his body and flitted down to the house of Hades,
mourning its sad fate and bidding farewell to the youth and
vigor of its manhood.

With much love,

Ivi Stangali

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 62

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

APRICOTS
FROM DAMASCUS
ISSUE 13
KHALED BARAKEH
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

This artwork is produced on the occasion of Apricots from Damascus

[Link]

Apricots from Damascus is an apexart Franchise Exhibition organized by

Apricot

s from Damascus
Atıf Akın and Dilek Winchester. For more information, visit us at
[Link]

Contact
delicious@[Link]
apexart - istanbul

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 64

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Etymologically in psychology, the term

Schizophrenia means failure to distinguish
reality, a condition in which the disturbance
evolves slowly and covertly, before resulting
in a sharp division in the mind, leading to
social isolation.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 65

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

With the passage of time and the

accumulation of experiences, I have become
ever more aware of our tendency to show
internal divides that sever one community
from another, which slowly cause us to
develop schizophrenia in reaction to all that
is different from us. Looking closely at these
divides, they appear complex and difficult to
grasp. However, if we think of our home as a
distinct entity in itself, as a mind, it becomes
clear that the contemporary situation in
many cities still reveals a schizophrenic or
rather, an acute schizophrenic tendency.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 66
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

What happens when one finds himself facing

this division more intimately?

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 67

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

When one is confronted with what was once

so opaque, so consistently overlooked?

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 68

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

There is no doubt that any sort of

reconciliation or healing needs time, not
a quick-fix solution, but rather, a process
of relinquishing historical pain, realizing
their own image as a whole and striving to
get over the psychological barrier that is
engraved all over the city.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 69

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

If schizophrenia is based on illusion,

repetitive reality teaches us that there is
always a glimmer of hope for people to meet
on common ground. While any division -
like an ocean or a border - can be bridged,
the pain caused by ideological forces is
to be intentionally maintained; but for sure
the gaps that occurred in our mind before
it does in our reality, to purify emblematic
ambiguities to address the distortions of
memory that occurred and continue to
occur inside us.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 70
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Skipping schizophrenia starts by cooperating

with the schizoid mind. The treatment
begins with diving into it and ascending
through its consciousness, from within its
world, but taking into account that positive
indoctrination must stimulate thought not
feeling; and in order to ascend through
the consciousness, it must naturally pass
stages of anxiety or depression as a result
of guilt and approach death that occur
within the circle of feeling. However this
can be considered as a positive signal that
schizophrenia is approaching the border line
between reality and imagination...
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 71
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŞAM’DA KAYISI
SAYI 1
NADIA AL ISSA
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

Bu sanat yapıtı Şam’da Kayısı kapsamında üretilmiştir

[Link]

Şam’da Kayısı Atıf Akın ve Dilek Winchester tarafından organize

edilen bir apexart İmtiyaz Sergisidir. Daha fazla bilgi için:
[Link]

İletişim
delicious@[Link]

Sayı 01 Nadia Al Is
Grafik Tasarım: Ali Emre Doğramacı
Çeviri: Rasha Arabi
Ekim 2015
apexart - istanbul

A ,

sa tarafından, Cambridge, M
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

Botani- Kimlik, yer değiştirme ve yerinden edilmeye ilişkin terminoloji ve söylem,

botanik atıflarıyla doludur. Söz gelimi köklerinden koparılmadan, kültürler
arasında çapraz tozlaşmadan, göçmenlerin dağılımından ve küçümseyici

ğin B’si,
bir biçimde filizlenen mülteci krizinden ve mültecileri ayıklamak
gereğinden söz edildiğini duyarız. Bu gibi terimler üzerine düşünmek bu
dilsel geçişlerin neye işaret ettiğine ilişkin bir değerlendirme imkânı sağlar.
Neden kimlik kökünü botanikten alır ve bu, kimliği nasıl şekillendirir?
Kimliğin böyle şekillendirilmesi hangi amaca hizmet eder? Örneğin
diaspora koşullarını doğal ya da doğa dışı kılma gibi bir iş görebilir mi? Bu

Kimliğin
doğallaştırmanın ya da doğa dışına itmenin ne gibi siyasal sonuçları vardır?
Kimliği, aidiyeti ve yerinden edilmeyi, metafor olarak ya da düz anlamıyla,
bitkilerle birlikte düşünmenin getirileri nelerdir?

Modern İngilizcede ekmek/dikmek anlamlarına gelen plant fiili

Latincede “bir yere sabitlemek, dikmek anlamındaki” plantare’den

K’si:
gelir. İngilizcede re- ya da trans- gibi önekler aldığında ise bu kelime
orijinal sabitlenmişlik anlamından uzaklaşarak yeni fakat doğal
olmayan bir hareketliliğe işaret eder. Düz anlam düzeyinde sabitlik
ve hareketlilik bitkiler âlemini de karakterize eder. Söz gelimi kimi
bitkiler endemik olup yaşam alanları belirli doğal ekosistemlerle

Bitkilerle
sınırlı kalırken, spektrumun öteki ucundaki bazı diğer bitkiler de
dünya üzerindeki bütün ekosistemlerde olmasa bile çok sayıda
ekosistemde bulunacak şekilde dünya üzerinde dağılmıştır. Üstelik
1

2
bitkiler serpilip gelişecekleri ve hâkim olacakları ya da rüzgar, insan
ve diğer hayvanlar sebebiyle kök salamayacakları ekosistemlere
dağıtılmış, takdim edilmiştir. Bu yüzden bitkilerin hem fiziksel

Okumak,
hem metafiziksel olarak başka bir alana geçirilmesi farklı türde
hareketlilik, durağanlık ve bunların yönetimi arasındaki bağlantıları
(ister bitkiler arası tozlaşma, zirai tohum ıslahı, koruma teknolojileri
ister insan bedenlerinin sınırlar aşırı dolaşımı olsun) ele almak için
elverişli bir alan açar. Hayatın bu şekilde yeniden düzenlenmesi en

Yazmak
küçükten en büyüğe çok çeşitli ölçeklerde genetik, taksonomik ve/
veya coğrafi olarak haritalandırılabilecek transplantasyonlar ya da
nakiller üretir.

Burada söz konusu olan yalnızca bitkilerle birlikte değil, aynı zamanda ekme
edimleriyle birlikte düşünmektir. Ekim, potansiyel bir siyasi gücü olan yaratıcı

ve Eyle-
bir eylem olarak kavranmaktadır. Böylesi bir yapı ekimin sivil aktivizmle iç
içe geçmiş olan tarihi üzerine kurulur. Bu tarihe Birinci Dünya Savaşı ve İkinci
Dünya Savaşı sırasında müttefik ülkelerin üstlerindeki gıda üretimi baskısını
hafifletmek üzere ortaya çıkmış, tepeden inme zafer bahçeleri ile küresel
ziraat endüstrisinin hegemonyasına alternatifler üreten, tabandan yükselen

mek
kent bostanlarını dâhil edebiliriz. Çapraz tozlaşma ve çapraz döllenme gibi
ekim edimleri, faydacılıklarının ötesinde, statükoya müdahale etme, geleceği
tahayyül etme ve başka imkânlar önerme kipleri olarak okunmaktadır.
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

(Alien) manevi (Endemic) (Habitat) da orada yaşamış 6. Kaynak, köken

Yabancı değer- Endemik Sıfat: Habitat İsim: olan 7. Bir kimseyi bir
Sıfat: ler ile 1. Sadece bir 6. Amerika, Avus- yere bağlayan mane-
1. Başka bun- bölgede ye- 1. Yerleşme, oturma tralya ve Afrika’nın vi temel güçlerin
bir milletten ları tişen veya 2. Bitkinin doğal olarak uygarlıktan bütünü
olan, başka devlet yaratmada, sonraki yaşayan yetiştiği yer, yurt uzak, ilkel -TDK
uyruğunda olan (kimse), nesillere iletmede (bitki, hay- -TDK biçimde
bigâne, ecnebi kullanılan, insanın van) yaşayan kimi (Terrestrial)
2. Başka bir milletle ilgili doğal ve toplumsal 2. Belli bir (Home-grown) halklarına Karasal Sıfat:
olan çevresine egemenliği- bölgede salgın Ev mahsulü Sıfat verilen ad Toprak üzerinde
3. Aileden, çevre- nin ölçüsünü gösteren olmaksızın Kişinin kendi -TDK yaşayan
den olmayan araçların bütünü, hars, sık görülen bahçesinde ye- -OİS
(kimse veya ekin (hastalık) tiştirdiği mahsuller. (Naturalize) Vatan-
şey), özge 2. Bir topluma veya -TDK -OİS daşlık vermek/ Yerli- (Transplant)
4. Tanınmayan, halk topluluğuna leştirmek Fiil Nakletmek

Sözlükçe
bilinmeyen, yad özgü düşünce ve san- (Germinate) (Hybrid) Melez Sıfat 1. Birini ülkenin vatan- Fiil:
5. Aynı türden, at eserlerinin bütünü filizlenmek Fiil: 1. Değişik türden daşlığına kabul etme 1. Nakil işini
aynı çeşitten 3. Muhakeme, 1. Bitki filiz vermek hayvan veya bitkiden 2. Bitkileri ya da hay- yapmak, bir
olmayan zevk ve eleştirme 2. Gelişmeye, üremiş (hayvan veya vanları yöresi dışında yerden başka bir
6. Bir konuda bilgisi, yeteneklerinin büyümeye başlamak bitki), kırma, yetiştirme yere geçirmek,
deneyimi olmayan öğrenim ve -TDK azma, hibrit, -TDK ve OİS iletmek
7. Belli bir yere veya kim- metis 2. Anlatmak, aktarmak
seye özgü olmayan (Graft) Aşılamak 2. Değişik (Parasite) Parazit İsim -TDK
-TDK yaşantılar Fiil: ırkta ana 1. Asalak
yoluyla 1.Vücutta babadan 2. Radyo, tele- (Uproot) Kökünden
(Cross-Fertilization) geliştirilmiş olan bağışıklık yaratmak veya doğmuş olan vizyon, telsiz sökmek Fiil:
Çapraz Döllenme Fiil: biçimi yerleşmiş bir hastalığa (kimse) vb. aygıtların 1. Bir şeyi, özellikle
3

4
Bir bitkinin aynı 4. Bireyin kazan- karşı koyabilmek için 3. Katışık, karışık yayınına bir ağacı ya da
türden başka bir dığı bilgi hazırlanmış bir aşıyı -TDK karışan bitkiyi yerinden
bitkinin polenleri 5. Tarım vücuda vermek, aşı yabancı ses sökmek.
ile döllenmesi. 6. Uygun biyolo- yapmak (Indigeneous) veya cızırtı 2. Kişiyi evinden
-OİS jik şartlarda bir 2. Başkasına hastalık Yöresel Sıfat 3. Herhan- ya da çevresinden
mikrop türünü geçirmek 1. Belli bir yöre ile ilgili, gi bir işte, uzaklaştırmak
(Cross-Pol- üretme 3. Elde edilmesi iste- yerel, mahallî, mevzii, olayda sorun -OİS
lination) -TDK nilen herhangi bir ağacın lokal çıkaran kimse
Çapraz bir parçasını anaç üzerine 2. Belli bir yöreye özgü -TDK (Weed)
Tozlaşmak (Diaspore/ kaynaştırarak üretmek -TDK Ayıklamak Fiil:
Fiil: Diaspora) Dias- 4. Birtakım düşünce veya (Root) Kök İsim 1. Bir şeyin içinden, işe
Bir çiçeği ya pora İsim: duyguları başkasına ben- (Native) Yerli Sıfat 1. Bitkileri to- yaramayan, gereksiz
da bitkiyi başka 1. Herhangi bir imsetmek, telkin etmek, 1. Taşınamayan, başka prağa bağlayan veya istenmeyen tan-
bir çiçek ya da ulusun veya inanç etkilemek yere götürülemeyen ve onların, eleri ayırıp
bitkiden polenle mensuplarının ana -TDK 2. Yurt içinde yapılan topraktaki besi maddel- çıkarmak,
tozlaştırmak. yurtları dışında azınlık veya bir yurdun erini emmesine yarayan temizle-
-OİS olarak yaşadıkları yer kendine özgü klorofilsiz bölüm mek
2. Herhangi bir ulusun niteliklerini 2. Süsende olduğu gibi yer 2. Bir
(Culture) yurdundan ayrılmış taşıyan üstüne sap çıkaran çok görevde
Kültür İsim: kolu, kopuntu 3. Belli bir bölgede yıllık yer altı gövdesi gereksiz
1. Tarihsel, 3. Bitkilerin yayıl- yetişen, otokton 3. Bazı şeylerde dip görülen-
toplumsal masını sağlayan spor, 4. Bir yerin ilk sakini bölüm leri
gelişme süreci tohum ya da herhangi olan, otokton 4. Sapıyla çıkarılan işinden
içinde yaratılan bir başka yapı 5. Oturduğu bölgede bitkilerde tane ayırmak
bütün maddi ve -TDK ve OİS doğup büyüyen, ataları 5. Dip, temel, esas -TDK
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA

Farklı çiçekli bitkiler arasında çapraz ya da kelebeklerin polenleri bir Bitkilerin Üremesine İlişkin Genel Bilgiler Dikkat: Kolaylık açısından aşağıdaki yönerge tam
çiçeklere göre oluşturulmuştur.
tozlaşma aynı cinse ait farklı iki bitki bitkiden diğer bitkiye taşıması gibi Çapraz tozlaşmaya yoğunlaşmadan önce
arasında tozlaşmanın gerçekleşmesiyle doğal yollarla olabileceği gibi insan bitkilerin üremesine dair temel unsurları 1 Aynı cinse ait farklı iki çiçekli bitki bulunuz.
anlamak gerekir. Bitkilerin üremesi çoğunlukla Çapraz tozlaşma için seçtiğiniz çiçeklerin
olur. Söz gelimi erik, kiraz, şeftali, müdahalesiyle de gerçekleşebilir. Bu bir erkek ve bir dişi üreme hücresinin hâlihazırda tozlaşmayı gerçekleştirmediğinden
nektarin ve kayısı Prunus cinsine sürecin detayları her ne kadar 1860’lara kaynaşmasıyla gerçekleşir. Bu kaynaşma bir emin olmak için henüz açılmamış olan çiçekleri
tohum oluşturur ve bu tohum da nihai olarak kullanınız.
aittirler ve bu yüzden bunlar arasında kadar bir sır olarak kaldıysa da, bitki yeni bir bitki meydana getirir. Bitkilerde
üreme, üreme organlarının (stamen ve pistilin) 2 Bir çiçeği polenleri sağlayacak erkek, başka
çapraz tozlaşma mümkündür. Çapraz ıslahı binlerce yıldır uygulanmaktaydı.
bulunduğu çiçek bünyesinde gerçekleşir. (Şekil 1) bir çiçeği de polenlerin aktarılacağı dişi olarak
tozlaşma sürecinde farklı bitkilerin Uzunca bir süre bezelyeleri melezleme belirleyiniz. Erkek olarak seçtiğiniz çiçeğin
Stamenin uç kısmında bulunan başçık, erkek başçığında sarı toz bulunduğundan, dişi olarak
genetik malzemeleri karışır ve nihai konusunda deneyler yapan Gregor üreme hücrelerini barındıran polen tozlarını kullanacağınız çiçeğin de parlak, yapışkan yahut
olarak hem orijinal bitkilerin çeşitli Mendel 1865 yılında kalıtım yasasına oluşturur. Dişi üreme hücrelerini barındıran tüylü bir stigması olduğundan emin olunuz.
yumurtacıklar da pistilin dibinde bulunan Çiçeklerin rollerini hatırlamak için farklı iplerle
özelliklerini gösteren hem de başlı son şeklini verdi ve böylelikle genetik ovaryumda bulunur. Tozlaşma, polenlerin işaretleyiniz.
başına yepyeni bir çeşitlilik alanı alanını kurarken aynı zamanda doğal ya da suni yollarla başçıktan pistilin uç
kısmındaki stigmaya aktarılmasıdır. Bu aktarım, 3 Dişi çiçeği hazırlamak için öncelikle
yaratan bir melez oluşur. Melezleşme çapraz tozlaşmayı bilimsel bir çalışma başçığın olgunlaşması ve açılarak polen tozlarını stamenlerini etkisizleştirmek suretiyle çiçeğin
ilk nesil meyvelerde ifade bulmaz, daha konusu haline getirdi. Burada kendi taşınmaya elverişli bir hale getirmesi sonrasında kendi kendine döllenmesini önlemelisiniz.
gerçekleşir.(Şekil 2) Çiçeği tam açılmamışken el yordamıyla
ziyade birinci neslin tohumlarından melezlerinizi yapmanızı sağlayacak yavaşça açınız ve cımbız kullanarak stamenleri
üretilen meyvelerde kendini gösterir. adım adım bir çapraz tozlaştırma Tozlaşmayı takip eden döllenme ise stigmaya ve başçıkları koparınız. Bu işlem esnasında
ulaşmış olan polenin boyuncuktan ovaryuma gerekirse büyüteçten faydalanabilirsiniz. Daha
Çapraz tozlaşma rüzgârın, arıların rehberi bulabilirsiniz. doğru bir kanal oluşturmasıyla gerçekleşir. sonraki aşamalara geçmeden önce cımbızınızı
Ovaryum içinde erkek ve dişi üreme hücreleri ispirto ile temizleyiniz. (Şekil 4)

Melez Oluştur-
kaynaşır ve bir tohum meydana getirirler.(Şekil
3) 4 Daha sonra hem erkek hem de dişi çiçeği,
yabancı polenlere maruz kalmalarına mani
Üç tür çiçek vardır: tam, eksik ve erselik çiçekler. olmak için birer selofan torba ile kaplayınız. Bu
5

6
Tam çiçekler en yaygın çiçek türüdür ve aynı torbaları alt kısmından büzerek ataçla yahut iple
bir çiçek içinde hem stamen hem de pistil sıkıştırınız. (Şekil 5)

mak Üzere Farklı

barındırırlar. (Bkz. Şekil 1) Bu çiçekler kendi
kendilerini dölleyebilirler. Eksik çiçeklerde 5 Erkek çiçeği açınız ve stamenlerini yahut
stigma ve pistilden yalnızca biri bulunur. Stigma başçığını temiz cımbızınızla koparınız. Bu
barındıran eksik çiçeklere stamenli çiçekler, stamen yahut başçıkları ağzı kapalı plastik bir
pistil barındaran çiçeklere pistilli çiçekler denir. kaba alınız. (Şekil 6)
Stamenli ve pistilli çiçekler aynı ya da farklı

Çiçekli Bitkiler
bitki üzerinde gelişebilirler ancak tozlaşmanın 6 Sonra dişi çiçeği poşetten çıkarınız. Cımbızla
gerçekleşmesi için birbirlerine ihtiyaç duyarlar. tuttuğunuz erkek çiçeğin stamenini yahut
Erselik çiçekler ise taçyaprağına benzeyen başçığını yavaşça dişi çiçeğin stigmasına
ve bir kömeçte birleşen çiçekçik yahut çiçek sürtünüz. Dişi çiçeği yeniden poşete sarınız.
gruplarından oluşur. Çiçekçikler her iki üreme (Şekil 7)
organını barındırabileceği gibi (disk çiçekçikleri)

Arasında Çapraz
yalnızca pistili de barındırabilir (ışın çiçekçiği). 7 Bu aşama tamamlandıktan sonra döllenme
Erselik çiçekler de yalnızca disk çiçekçiği gerçekleşir ve böylece toplayabileceğiniz
grubundan oluşabileceği gibi hem disk hem de tohumlar gelişir. Eğer seçilmiş olan bitkiler
ışın çiçekçiği gruplarını barındırabilir. meyve ya da sebze vermiyorsa, tohumları dişi
çiçeğin tohum kapsülü kuruyup yarılmaya
Çapraz Tozlaştırma Yönergesi başladığında toplayabilirsiniz. (bkz. Şekil 8) Eğer

Tozlaşma Nasıl
seçilmiş bitkiler meyve veya sebze veriyorsa,
Malzemeler: tohumlar meyve ya da sebze olgunlaşıp tohumu
taşıyan kısımlar gelişkin bir hal alınca toplamaya
İp (İki ayrı renk) hazır hale gelir. Topladığınız tohumları bir
Cımbız pakete yerleştiriniz. Paketi ilk hafta boyunca
Büyüteç ılık bir yerde tutunuz, daha sonra ise serin

Sağlanabilir?
İspirto ve kuru bir ortamda muhafaza ediniz. Hazır
Selofan torba hissettiğinizde hasat ettiğiniz tohumları ekebilir
Birkaç ataç ve melez bitkinizin büyümesini izleyebilirsiniz.
Küçük plastik kap (Şekil 8)
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŞAM’DA KAYISI
SAYI 6
ATIF AKIN
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Bu sanat yapıtı Şam’da Kayısı kapsamında üretilmiştir

[Link]

Şam’da Kayısı Atıf Akın ve Dilek Winchester tarafından organize edilen bir apexart
İmtiyaz Sergisidir. Daha fazla bilgi için:
Şam’da Kayı
Şam Salonu

sı Sayı 06 Atıf Akın

[Link]

İletişim
delicious@[Link]

’ndan Kayısılar
’den Ka

yısılar
apexart - istanbul

2015

tarafından, New York, Kası m

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 78
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 79

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 80

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 81

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 82

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 83

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŞAM’DA KAYISI
SAYI 7
PINAR ÖĞRENCI
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Şam’da
Bu metin Şubat 2015’te Artunlimited ve Radikal’de yayınlanmış, Şam’da Kayısı için güncellenmiştir.
Görseller sanatçıların izniyle facebook sayfalarından alınmıştır.
[Link]

Şam’da Kayısı Atıf Akın ve Dilek Winchester tarafından organize edilen bir apexart İmtiyaz
Sergisidir. Daha fazla bilgi için:
[Link]
‘Kentleri de rüyalar gibi, arzular veya korkular kurar; söylediklerinin ana

Kayısı Sayı 07 Pınar

hattı gizli, kuralları saçma, verdiği umutlar aldatıcı, her şey başka birşeyi
İletişim gizliyor olsa da’.
delicious@[Link] Italo Calvino, Görünmez Kentler

Çeviri: Emre Koyuncu

İstanbul doğudaki kültür şehirleri Abbas Kiorostami’nin ünlü ‘Köker Üçlemesi’nin son filmi, 1994
arasında buluşulabilecek neredeyse yapımı ‘Zeytin Ağaçlarının Altında’, 1990 İran Depremi’nin günlük
tek merkez haline gelmiş durumda. hayattaki etkilerini konu edinir. Filmin baş karakteri, inşaat işçisi
Orta Doğu ülkeleri arasındaki gergin Hüseyin, Tahire’ye aşıktır. Tahire ile evlenme isteği, cahil ve evsiz
ve istikrarsız ilişkiler insanların olduğu için reddedilir. Defalarca teklifini yinelediği günlerden birinin
seyahat özgürlüğünü etkiliyor. Bir geceyarısında, büyük bir deprem olur ve köyde taş taş üstünde
İran’lı için Kudüs, İsrail’li, Suudi kalmaz. Kurgu ile gerçek hikayelerin birbirine geçtiği filmde Hüseyin,
Arabistan’lı ya da Mısır’lı için Tahran’a Tahire ile aynı film setinde çalışmak zorundadır (Kiorostami sıklıkla
gidip yaşama şansı neredeyse profesyonel olmayan oyuncularla çalışır ve senaryolarını onları
olanaksız... Bağdat savaş sonrası tanıdıktan sonra yazar). Hüseyin’in yönetmenle konuştuğu meşhur
yeniden inşa edilirken hala yaralarını yol sahnesinde, evsizliğinin defalarca yüzüne vurulmasından o kadar
Kasım, 2015

sarabilmiş değil. Halep neredeyse yok çok üzülmüştür ki, üzüntüsünün depreme yol açtığını düşündüğünü
oldu ve Şam kan ağlıyor. Gazze daha söyler. Artık ne Tahire’nin evi kalmıştır, ne de köydeki diğer insanların;
kısa bir süre öncesine kadar ateş Hüseyin artık eşit koşullarda olduklarını düşünür…
altındaydı. Bu durumda İstanbul hala
güvenli bir merkez halindeyken Arap Deprem sonrasında büyüdüğüm şehir olan Van’a gittiğim ilk gece,
ülkelerinden gelen bütün göçmenlerle ablamı ve ailesini bulmaya çalıştım. Şehrin merkezinde konforlu
birlikte sanatçı, aydın ve bilim sayılabilecek bir apartmanda yaşarken, bir gecede herşey değişmişti.
adamlarının yarasını sarmak ve onlara Göl kıyısında küçücük ve karanlık bir çadırın içinde, tanımadıkları
evsahipliği yapmak zorunda. Tarihsel onlarca kişiyle birlikte kalıyorlardı. Şiddetle yağan yağmurun ıslattığı
olarak bunu gerçekleştirmesi belki çadırın içinde geçirdiğimiz geceyi asla unutmuyorum. Bir ay kadar
apexart - istanbul

de bir zamanlar sahip olduğu kültürel sonra bir konteyner bulup içine sığınmış, bütün bir kışı ve koskoca bir
çeşitliliği yeniden kazanması için bir fırsat olabilir. Suriyeli’ler yılı bu konteynerda geçirmişlerdi. Konteyner şartlarına dayanamayan
kendilerinin Türklere, diğer Arap ülkerinin vatandaşlarına çocukları İzmir’e, annemlerin yanına göndermek zorunda kalmış,
göre daha çok benzediklerini düşünüyorlar. Biz ise hemen aylarca fiziksel ve psikolojik sağlık sorunlarıyla boğuşmuşlardı…
yanıbaşımızda varolan bu külltüre karşı ne kadar da yabancıyız…
Sadece İslamiyet ve hatta bugünlerde artan birşekilde mezhepler Deprem ve savaş gibi kriz ya da felaket durumları, insanların yaşam
üzerinden kodladığımız bu kültüre dönüp bakmanın, zenginliğini biçimlerini negatif anlamda eşitliyor; evini, yurdunu ve daha kötüsü
farketmenin zamanı çoktan gelmedi mi? gelecekle ilgili bütün tahayyüllerini kaybeden milyonlarca insan aynı
yazgıyı paylaşıyor. Savaş başladığından beri topraklarını terkeden
Zaza’nın dediği gibi, evler başımıza yıkılsa da, sevgi hala milyonlarca Suriyeli, dünyanın bir çok ülkesine dağılmış durumda. Bu
büyüyor… yazıda, Avrupa’ya ulaşmak için ölümü bile göze alarak denizleri aşan,
Arap ya da Suriyeli lakabıyla kodlayıp, genellikle de
sokaktaki çaresiz varoluşları ile tekilleştirdiğimiz
göçmenlerin içinde gözden kaçan bir guruptan
bahsedeceğim: Suriyeli Sanatçılardan.
Öğrenci tarafından İstanbul,
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 85
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Kürt kökenli Mohammad Zaza (Riyad, Toufic Hamidi (Halep,1988) 2014 yılının Mart ayında İstanbul’a gelmiş. Ailesi
1987) Suudi Arabistan’da büyümüş hala Halep’te yaşıyor, Toufic ise kendine Aynalıçeşme’de bir ev bulmuş.
ve 18 yaşında Suriye’ye taşınmış. Litografi eğitimi alan Toufic, savaş başladığında hala öğrenciymiş ve
Bir buçuk yıl önce İstanbul’a gelen üniversiteyi bitirir bitirmez İstanbul’a gelmiş ve hala İstanbul’da yaşıyor.
Zaza, Sıraselviler’de bir apartman
dairesinde yaşıyor. Atölyesine gittiğim
gün hava son derece soğuktu ve ısıtma
sistemi çalışmıyordu. Zaza, ısınmak
için atölyenin ortasına bir soba
kurmuş ve arkasındaki duvarın önüne
yığınla odun taşımıştı. Suriye’den göç
ettikten sonra resminde en çok neyin
değiştiği sorusuna ‘renkler’ diye cevap
veren Zaza, İstanbul semalarında
sürekli yerdeğiştiren bulutların
arasından sızan ışığın ve değişen
renklerin kendisini çok etkilendiğini
ve İstanbul’un kendisi için son derece
ilham verici olduğunu söylüyor. Zaza
bugünlerde İstanbul’da yapacağı solo
sergi için hazırlanıyor.

Toufic: Evvelâ, bu süreç benim için sanat üzerinden kendimi her seferinde daha
fazla keşfetme anlamını taşıyor. Özellikle savaş süreci ve sonrasını kişisel
etkileriyle duyumsuyorum. Bu temel unsur, özellikle Suriye’den ayrıldıktan
sonra, ülkeme dönüp, oradan gelen imgelere baktığımda etkili oluyor. Aynı
zamanda oradan hakikat bağlamında gelenleri izlerken, ‘Peki ben elimdekini
nasıl sunabilirim?’ anlamında bir hisle doluyorum. Herşeyden öte, orada sahip
olduklarımızla ve daha önce vatanımızdaki mevcut herşeyle ilgili olumlu bir
imajı verebilmeyi arzu ediyorum. Mekân değişikliği ile ilgili durumun kendince
hem olumlu, hem olumsuz etkileri var. Buna gittiğiniz kentin ruhunu veya
dil sorununu örnek verebilirim. Ama günün sonunda, her şey sanatçıya ve
emeğine bağlı. Son olarak, savaş her şeyi daha da berraklaştırdı ve hakiki
hale getirdi. Artık savaş durumu ve onun günlük ayrıntıları üzerinden, kendim
ve ailem hakkında daha fazla şey biliyorum.

Zaza: Bir metinle meşgul olduğum sırada, Arapça’da ‘hawa’ olarak nitelenen
‘yerle bir’ ifadesine takıldım ve bu benim kışkırtılıp meraklanmama yol açtı.
Akabinde, çalışmamı sürdürdüysem de, beynim halâ bu kelimenin etrafında,
tekrar tekrar dönüp durmaktaydı. Metnime döndüğümde, bu kelimenin kendi
anlamını dahi aşan ‘müziği’ni işitir vaziyetteydim. Bu, benim şiir mefhumu
üzerine, kimlik ve isimler üzerine yeniden düşünmemi sağladı. Daha sonra
bu kelimenin eylemsiz olduğunu ve geçen zamanla birlikte, giderek keskin
bir şekilde herşeyin değişimi fikrinin de karşısında durduğunu düşündüm. Ve
şimdi… Resim yapıyorum. ‘Sevgi halâ büyümeyi sürdürüyor, ancak insanlık
henüz bunu görebilmiş değil’.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 86
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Maher Abdo (Idlep,1984) önce heykel daha sonra drama eğitimi almış. Bir süre sinema ve televizyon için dekor ve sahne tasarımı yapan Maher, daha sonra
resim ve heykel alanına geri dönmüş. Savaş başladıktan sonra bir süre Mısır’a giden Maher, orada bir süre bir film projesi için çalıştıktan sonra İstanbul’a
gelmiş. Maher’in ailesi ise Hatay’a göçmüş. Kendisini Kurtuluş’ta iyi korunmuş bir apartmanın bodrum katındaki atölyesinde ziyaret ettim. Sonunda bir atölyesi
olduğu için çok mutluydu. Sohbetimiz sırasında ‘mekan’ üzerinde vurgu yapan Maher, mekanını kaybeden kişinin, karakterinin büyük bir bölümünden yoksun
kaldığını ve bu yoksun yüzlerin giderek birbirine benzediğini söyledi. Atölyeden ayrılırken, içinde zencefil ve bal olan küçük bir şişe balı elime tutuşturan
Maher’in hayat dolu bakışları vardı ve İstanbul’dan umutluydu. Maher şimdi Almanya’nın güneyinde Sulzbach Rosenberg isimli küçük bir kasabada yaşıyor.
Oturum iznini aldıktan sonra Münih’e yerleşmeyi düşünen Maher bugünlerde yabancı dil öğrenmeye çalışıyor.

Amjad Wardeh’in (Şam, 1984) ailesi Gaziantep’e Istanbul has a magic Middle est Maher: Suriye’den ayrıldıktan sonra, Mısır’a
yerleşirken kendisi İstanbul’a gelip, Bomonti’de Istanbul is love taşındım ve orada uzun süre kalamadım. Çünkü Mısır
bir ev bulmuş. İstanbul’daki ev sahiplerinin Suriyeli sınırında bulunan Suriyeli sanatçılarla herhangi bir
kiracılara karşı diğer yabancılardan daha temkinli iletişim kurma ve destek alma imkânım olamadı.
davranıp iki depozito bedeli istediğini ve bu durumu Buraya, İstanbul’a geldim ve aslına bakılırsa, insan
pekçok arkadaşından duyduğunu söyledi. Amjad Mybe here lm save more ilişkileri bakımından, sokaklarına varıncaya dek
tanıştığımızdan beri çokça seyahat etti. [Link], But i don’t have good live and job daha iyi koşullarla karşılaştım. Şu anda gördüğüm
Bodrum, Midilli, Viyana’ya giden Amjad şimdi sorun o ki, Suriye’deki savaş henüz sona ermiş
Frankfurt’ta bulunuyor. değil. Gelecekle ilgili büyük bir bulanıklık ve gizem
mevzubahis.

Amjad: Göç durumunun üretim tarzım ve ele aldığım

konular üzerinde çok büyük etkisi olduğunu ifade
edebilirim. Hemen her tuvalimde, adeta olağan bir
biçimde gri renkler hakim, ancak sıcak renklerle
daha fazla kontrast yaratmaya yöneldim. Suriye’deki
devrim hareketi 2013’te başladığı günlerde her şey
çok barışçıldı ve benim eserlerim de bunu destekler
bir hal içerisinde idi. Kendimi ülkemde olanlardan
ne kadar bağışık tutmaya çalışsam da, halâ bunu
tuvallerimde görmem mümkün denebilir.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 87

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Arap kültürüyle ilk kez ilkokul yıllarında Kur’an okumayı öğrendiğim zaman tanıştım.
Bir taraftan Türkçe okuyup yazmayı, bir taraftan da hiç bilmediğim Arapça dilinde
Kur’an okumayı öğreniyordum. Yazmayı değil sadece okumayı ve ‘temsili tilavet’i, yani
duygulu bir şekilde sesi yükseltip alçaltarak, bazı hecelerin üstüne basarak öğrenmek
zorundaydım. Bu arada en yakın aile dostumuz tekstil ticareti yapan Siirt’ten göçmüş
Arap kökenli bir aileydi. Çok iyi Türkçe bilir, kendi aralarında Arapça konuşmayı tercih
ederlerdi. Annem Arap arkadaşının mutfağından acı ekşi çok sayıda baharatı ve Arap
yemek tariflerini mutfağımıza taşımıştı. Babamın birçok tüccar arkadaşı, mevlüdlerde
unutamadığım sesiyle Kur’an okuyan karşı komşumuz Nafiye Teyze gibi pekçok Arap
tanıdığımız vardı. Ayrıca babam bizim tanımadığımız bir çok İranlı, Arap ya da İsrailli
müşterisini akşam yemeğine davet eder, annemden özel bir yemek pişirmesini isterdi.
Annem babamın bu ani sürprizlerine arada bir sinirlense de yeni insanlar tanımaktan
hoşlanırdı; birbirimizin dilini anlamadığımız halde anlaşırdık. Şimdi şimdi anlıyorum ki
Anadolu’yu gezmenin, ticaret yapmanın kazandırdığı bir esnaf ahlakı vardı babamın.
Paylaşmayı ve hangi dinden, etnik kökenden olursa olsun insanları tanımayı çok isterdi.

İstanbul’da yaşayan Suriyeli sanatçılarla ilgili bir dosya yapmam gerektiğinde, nerede,
nasıl buluşacağımız sorusu gündeme geldi ve hiç düşünmeden Osmanbey’deki atölyede bir
akşam yemeğinde buluşmayı teklif ettim. Çocukluğumdan kalan, baba mirası bu refleksle
aynı sofrayı paylaşmak sanırım hepimizi iyi hissettirdi. Kentin farklı bölgelerine dağılmış,
koşulları her an değişme riski taşıyan beş sanatçıyı yemeğe davet etmenin ne kadar iyi
bir fikir olduğunu sonradan daha iyi anladım. Zira İstanbul’daki sanat camiası ile iletişim
kurmakta, onların arasına katılmakta hayli zorluk çekiyorlardı. Arapçanın müzikal tınısı
sohbetin duvarlarını ısıtmıştı, mümkün olduğunca savaştan bahsetmemeye çalışsak da
‘savaş’ bütün hakikati ile sohbeti parçalıyordu.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 88

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Naser Nassan Agha (Idleb, 1961) ise Beylikdüzü’nde yaşıyor. Ailesi ile birlikte göç eden
Naser’in iki çocuğu var. İstanbul’un daha merkezi semtlerinde yaşamanın hayali kuruyor.
Hepsi 80 kuşağının gençleri olan dört Suriyeli sanatçının içinde farklı bir kuşağı temsil
ediyor. Sohbetimiz sırasında genç sanatçıların sanatı ile ilgili yorumlar yaparak katkıda
bulunan Naser, resimlerinde mimarlık ve kente dair elemanlar kullanıyor. İstanbul’un tarihi
kent dokusunu çok aşina bulan Naser, son zamanlarda tarihi referanslardan uzaklaşmaya
çalıştığını söyledi. Bir süre önce bir sergi projesi için Almanya’ya giden Naser, baharda
tekrar İstanbul’a dönmeyi planlıyor.

My dear friend Pınar

Im in Germany now

You are in the heart

Naser: ‘Biz Suriyelilere daha ne kadar katlanacaksınız?

Naser: Şu anda yapılması gereken, dürüst ve onurlu bir iletişim biçimi olan sanatı,
politikanın önüne geçirmek ve insanları bir araya getirici bir unsur olarak değerlendirmek
olmalı. Savaş ve toplum üzerindeki sonuçları, insanları saygın bir yaşam sürmekten
alıkoyuyor. Karanlık güçlerin ortaya koyduğu yıkım, en basit insan haklarını dahi hiçe
sayıyor. Biz, birkaç arkadaş olarak tüm güçlüklerine karşın sanatı sürdürmeyi korumaya
çalışıyoruz. Bu uğurda Suriye halkının, kültürün ve tarihinin güzelliklerini yansıtır birkaç
sergimiz dahi oldu. Ancak maalesef, bu arkadaşlarımızın çoğu artık yok ve bizler, birkaç
kişi burada bekliyoruz. Rüyamız, soğuk kentlerin parçalanmış kaldırımlarında sürüyor. Bu
uğurda küçük bir ılıklık dahi bize yeter oysa.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 89
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI

Sanatçıların tamamı için İstanbul, Şam ve Halep birbirlerine çok benziyor. Mimari
elemanların ve şehrin planlanma biçiminin onlara hiç yabancı gelmediği açık. İstanbul,
Bağdat, Şam, Kahire gibi kültür ve ticaret merkezi olan şehirlerin, doğuya özgü, plansız,
daha çok cemaat ilişkileri ile şekillenen tarihsel gelişimi ve 20. yüzyılda geçirdiği
modernleşme süreçleri birbirlerine benzer nitelikler taşıyor. Cami etrafında gelişen mahalle
strüktürleri, kapalı çarşı, bedesten, hamam gibi kamusal yapılar, konut mimarisindeki çok
işlevli odalar benzer tarihi referanslardan sadece birkaçı… Sanatçılar, şehirdeki sosyal
yaşamın da Suriye’deki yaşantıları ile çok büyük benzerlik taşıdığını, Türkçe bilmedikleri
halde örneğin alışveriş yaparken, yemek siparişi verirken ya da yolda yürürken kendilerini
evlerinde gibi hissettiklerini belirttiler.

Suriyeli sanatçılarla bir belgesel film çeken Bilal Alirıza da (Medine, 1988)
kültürler arasındaki bu benzerliğin hayatı kolaylaştırdığına ancak sanatçıların
sadece kendi aralarında görüştüğüne, İstanbul’daki sanat camiasına entegre
olmakta güçlük çektiklerine dikkat çekti.

İstanbul hızla yükselip betonlaşırken demografik olarak da çeşitleniyor. İstanbul’a

gelen Suriye’liler sınıfsal durumlarına göre farklı semtlere dağılmış durumda, Bilal
Alirıza’nın deyimiyle, İstanbul’da da Suriye’dekine benzer şekilde merkez ya da periferiyi
kullanıyorlar. Periferide yaşayanlar Beylükdüzü gibi uzak semtleri, zenginler Nişantaşı’nı,
alt-orta sınıflar Aksaray, Yusufpaşa, Karagümrük, Vefa civarını, en alt sınıflarsa İkitelli
gibi semtleri tercih ediyor. Sanatçılar için de aynı durum geçerli; Mohammed Zaza
Taksim’de, Naser Nassan Agha Beylükdüzü’nde yaşıyor örneğin. Anadolu şehirlerinde ise
durum farklı, örneğin [Link]’de sınıfsal olarak ayrılma şansları olmayan Suriyeliler belli
mahallelerde toplanmış. Anadolu şehirlerinde İstanbul’a göre daha çok dirençle karşılaşan
göçmenler, yerel halkın ve koşulların baskısıyla bir arada kalmak gereği duyuyor.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 90
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŞAM’DA KAYISI
SAYI 8
HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

u l, Aralık 2015
Bu sanat yapıtı Şam’da Kayısı kapsamında üretilmiştir
[Link] Şam’da Kayısı Sa

yı
şcıyan tarafından, İsta nb
Şam’da Kayısı Atıf Akın ve Dilek Winchester tarafından organize edilen bir apexart
İmtiyaz Sergisidir. Daha fazla bilgi için:
[Link]

08 İvi Stangali’ye İthafe

İletişim
delicious@[Link]

İvi Stangali’den mektup var

İvi Stangali, 1942-1949 yılları arasında akademide Bedri Rahmi

Eyüboğlu atölyesinde öğrenim görmüş ve 1949-1964 yılları arasın-
da aynı atölyede asistan olarak çalışmış bir sanatçıdır. 1947 yılında
kurulan On’lar Grubu’nun kurucu üyelerindendir. Stangali, 12 bin
Rum vatandaşın sınırdışı edildiği, 1964 sürgünleri sırasında
İstanbul’dan sürgün edilmiş ve yaşamının geri kalanına Atina’da
devam etmiştir. Sanatçının üretimi konusunda bugüne ulaşabilen
yegâne kaynaklar, resmetmiş olduğu kitaplardır. Bunlar arasında
Ütopya (1986), Ateş Yakmak (1953), Cüceler Çarşısı (1955) ve İlya-
da Destanı (1962) bulunur. En bilineni Yunan vazolarından esinle,
Azra Erhat ve A. Kadir’in İlyada çevirisi için yaptığı resimlerdir.
Hera Büyüktaşçıyan ve Dilek Winchester bu araştırmayı, içinde
İvi Stangali’nin izlerine rastlanan, “20 Dolar, 20 Kilo’’ ve
“Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu ve Çağdaşlarından Mektuplar - Biz
Mektup Yazardık” sergilerinden yola çıkarak gerçekleştirdiler.
Sanatçının üretimini sekteye uğratan sürgün deneyiminin izlerini,
apexart - istanbul

Hoca’sına, Atina’ya gelmesinin hemen ardından yazdığı 10 Kasım

1964 tarihli mektubunda rastlayabiliriz. Sonrasında sanat üreti-
mine devam ettiğine dair herhangi bir bulgu bulunmamaktadır.
Kadın olması ve taşıdığı kimlik, Stangali’nin kırılgan bir görün-
mezliğe sahip olmasına neden olmuştur. Elle tutulur verilerle izi
sürülemese de, Stangali’nin sanatsal pratiğinin izleri kitap sayfa-
ları arasında saklı kalmıştır. Stangali’nin resmettiği İlyada kitabı
yerinden edilen insanlığa hitap ederken, diğer yandan toplumsal,
politik ve duygusal anlamda kendisine bir aidiyet alanı yaratmaya
çabalayan ve dünyaya farklı gözlerle bakan bir sanatçının yerinden
edilişinin de izlerini taşır.

Bu çalışma, İvi Stangali’nin anısına gerçekleştirilmistir.

n, Dilek Winchester & Hera Büyükta
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 92
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

10 Kasım 1964 Burada insanları da tanımak istemiyorum, hep

İstanbul’dakilerle uğraşıyorum. Atölye...ev...
Mühürdar, deniz kıyısı, martıların sesi, Saynur’un
damı üzerindeki güvercinler... Yirmi gündür ne
Sevgili Hocam, deniz, ne güvercin, ne martı sesi, ne de kedi.

Buraya geleli yirmi gün oldu, size bir tek satır

yazamadım. Kim bilir neler düşündünüz! Doğrusu
şimdi de zor yazıyorum. İçimde korkunç bir boşluk Böyle ağlaşıyorlardı şehirde bir baştan bir başa.
var, hiçbir şeyle ilgilenemiyorum... Atina güzel Gemilerine, Hellespontos’a varınca Akhalar dağıldı,
şehirdir, fakat bu şartlar altında değil... ev Her Akhalı gitti kendi gemisine.
yok, deniz yok ve ikisini de korkunç bir şekilde
özlüyorum. Resim yapabilirdim, fakat boyalarım
İstanbul’da, burada ise boyalar çok pahalı, yerim de
yok.

Ovada uzanan ağaçlı bir tepe sellere nasıl dayanırsa,

Nasıl karşı korsa yok edici akışına koca ırmakların,
Birden bütün suları nasıl yöneltirse ovaya doğru
Akıntının hızı altında hiç sarsılmadan,
Aias’lar da öyle karşı duruyorlardı Troyalıların akınına.

Uçakta bir sürü insan ağlıyordu, herkesten çok ben,

fakat Atina Havaalanı’na inmeye başlayınca herkes
gülmeye, şakalaşmaya başladı, ben ise...nasıl tarif
edeyim bilmiyorum...ölüm gibi bir şey duydum.

...işte tıpkı öyle yanıyordu.

Binlerce öbek ateş parlıyordu ovada.
Elli adam vardı çevresinde her öbeğin.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 93

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

Tatlı, fazla tatlı bir yüzle bakıyorlar, kırılacak

eşya imişim gibi konuşuyorlar.

Yuvarlandım gittiydim tam bir gün.

Düştüydüm Lemnos adasına, batan günle,
Birazcık canım kalmıştı, ha çıktı ha çıkacak.

Gazeteciler, flaşlarla, makinelerle etrafımızı

sardılar, boyuna resim filan çekiyorlar.. Ben
sırtımı çevirerek onlardan kaçabildim, fakat
Maya kurtulamadı. En çok onunla uğraştılar ve
birbirlerine göstererek ‘’Türkiye için tehlikeli
insan’’ deyip gülüşüyorlardı.

Atreusoğlu, tanrının duacısı Khryses’i saymadı diye

İnsanlar kırılıp gidiyordu birbiri ardısıra.
Khryses kurtarmak için Akhaların elinden kızını
Bir yığın kurtulmalıkla gelmişti tezgiden gemilerinde. Ama kimseyi tanımak istemiyorum. Yalnız bir hanımla
tanıştırmayı becerdi. Bu hanım bana Aliye Hanım’ı
hatırlattı. Şarkıcı imiş, şimdi elliyi geçti, fakat
gene de şarkı söylüyor ama az kazanıyor. Bu hanım
beni bir editöre gönderdi, tanıştırdı daha doğrusu;
o da beni bir dergi yayınevine gönderecek.
Resimlediğim kitaplar yanımdadır, onları
göstereceğim.

Sağlam bir duvar mı var belayı savacak?

Duvarlarla çevrili bir şehir yok yakınımızda,
Öcümüzü alacak bir ordu yok ki güvenelim.
Sağlam zırhlı Troyalıların ovasındayız işte,
Denize dayanmışız , çok uzağız baba toprağından…

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 94

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER

Hocam İstanbul’a dönebilmek için çareler arayıp

duruyorum, fakat şunu anladım; Önce çalışıp para
kazanmalıyım, çünkü ister Paris ister Bulgaristan,
ister doğrudan doğruya İstanbul’a dönüş parasız Nedim ne yapıyor? Nasıl olur da aramadı? Yazacağım
olamaz. Saynur’a da. Teyzeye yazdım, dün cevap aldım. Uzun
zaman rahatsızmış, üzülüyormuş çok, döneceğim diye
evin tozunu alıyor, havalandırıyor.

‘’Ne diye kovalarsın beni hızlı adımlarla? Bana uzun uzun anlatın oraları. Ne yapıyorsunuz,
Sen bir ölümlüsün, bense ölümsüz bir tanrı, kimleri görüyorsunuz, neye kızıyorsunuz, neye
Ne diye azgınlık eder, direnirsin böyle, seviniyorsunuz...
Benim bir tanrı olduğumu anlayamadın mı?
Şu darmadağın ettiğin Troyalılarla Sakın bana kızmayın, şimdiye kadar yazamadım diye...
Artık istemezsin herhal savaşmayı, Çok çok fenayım, anlatamıyorum.
İşte onlar sığındılar şehirlerine,
Oysa sen dönüp dolanıyorsun burada.
Kaderin sana bağışladıklarından değilim,
Öldüremezsin beni, bunu anla.’’ Böyle dedi, ölüm kapladı gözlerini,
Canı çıktı gövdesinden, uçtu gitti Hades’e,
Bıraktı gücünü, gençliğini, kaderine ağlıya ağlıya…

Çok çok sevgilerle,

İvi Stangali

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 95

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŞAM’DA KAYISI
SAYI 13
KHALED BARAKEH
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Bu sanat yapıtı Şam’da Kayısı kapsamında üretilmiştir

[Link]

Şam’da Kayısı Atıf Akın ve Dilek Winchester tarafından organize edilen bir apexart
Şam’da Kay

ıs ı
İmtiyaz Sergisidir. Daha fazla bilgi için:
[Link]

İletişim
delicious@[Link]

Çeviri: Emre Koyuncu

apexart - istanbul

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 97

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Psikolojide, etimolojik olarak şizofreni

terimi, gizli ve yavaş bir evrimle ilerleyerek
zihnin bölünmesinde son bulan ve
toplumsal tecride neden olan bir rahatsızlık
olup gerçeği ayırt etme başarısızlığı
anlamına gelir.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 98

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Geçen zaman ve artan tecrübem sayesinde,

bizden farklı olana tepki olarak yavaş yavaş
şizofreni geliştirmemize sebep olan, bir
topluluğu diğerinden ayıran içsel ayrımlar
geliştirme eğilimimizin giderek daha da
çok farkına vardım. Bu ayrımlara yakından
bakıldığında bunlar son derece karmaşık
ve anlaşılması güç gözükür, ancak evimizi
başlı başına bir varlık olarak düşünürsek,
pek çok şehirdeki mevcut durumun
şizofrenik bir olduğu ya da daha ziyade
şizotopik bir eğilimi yansıttığı anlaşılır.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 99
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

İnsan kendini bu ayrımla daha yakından

karşılaşırken bulursa ne olur?

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 100

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Bu kadar görünmez olan veya sürekli olarak

görmezden gelinen o şeyle karşılaşınca ne
olur?

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 101

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Şüphesiz ki her türlü uzlaşma ve iyileşme

zaman alır, kolay yolu yoktur, bu daha çok
tarihi acılardan uzaklaşma, insanın kendi
imgesinin bir bütün olarak farkına varması
ve bütün şehre işlenmiş psikolojik bariyerin
üstesinden gelmeye çalışmasıdır.

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 102

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Eğer şizofreni yanılsamaya dayanıyorsa,

gerçeklik tekrar tekrar bize insanların
ortak bir zeminde buluşması için bir umut
ışığı olduğunu göstermiştir. Her hangi bir
ayrılık, söz gelimi, bir okyanus ya da sınır
aşılabilecekken, ideolojik güçlerin neden
olduğu acıların üstesinden gelmek zordur;
ama elbette imkansız değildir! Burada
ihtiyaç duyulan gerçekliğimizden ziyade
zihnimizde oluşan boşluğu doldurmak,
içimizde vuku bulmuş olan ve bulmaya
devam eden hafızalarımızdaki bozulmalara
bağlı muğlaklığı arıtmaktır.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 103
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

Şizofreniden kurtulmanın yolu şizoid

zihinle işbirliği yapmaktan geçer. Tedavi,
zihnin içine derinlemesine girmek ve bilinç
içinde yükselmekle başlar ancak hesaba
katmak gerekir ki olumlu telkin bilinci değil
düşünceyi tetiklemelidir. Bilinçten doğru
yükselebilmenin yolu doğal olarak kaygı ve
bunalımdan geçer ve sonuç olarak suçluluk
duygusu ve ölüme yaklaşma hissi oluşabilir
ve bu aslında şizofreninin gerçeklik ile hayal
dünyasının arasındaki sınıra yaklaştığına
delalet olumlu bir işarettir.
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 104
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

‫ممشش من دمشق‬
1 ‫العدد‬
NADIA AL ISSA
‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA‬‬

‫تم إنتاج هذا العمل بمناسبة مشمش من دمشق‬

‫‪[Link]

‫مشمش من دمشق هو معرض بوكالة أبكسارت‪ ،‬وبتنظيم عاطف أكني و ديلك وينشستر‬
‫للمزيد من املعلومات‪ ،‬زر صفحتنا على‬
‫‪[Link]

‫تواصل معنا‬
‫‪delicious@[Link]‬‬

‫تصميم‪ :‬علي امري دوڠراماشي‬

‫ترجمة‪ :‬رشا عرابي‬

‫‪apexart - istanbul‬‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA‬‬

‫نقطة توجيهية‪ :‬التعليمات التالية هي لألزهار الكاملة وذلك لغرض‬ ‫معلومات أساسية عن التكاثر النباتي*‬ ‫الفراشات غبار الطلع من نبتة الى اخرى‬ ‫يحدث التالقح بني النباتات املزهرة‬
‫التبسيط‪.‬‬
‫قبل الخوض في عملية التالقح البد ان نشير الي أهمية فهم‬ ‫او بشكل غير طبيعي كنتيجة للتدخل‬ ‫املختلفة عندما تقوم نبتة بتلقيح نبتة‬
‫‪ -١‬اعثر على اثنني من النباتات املزهرة املختلفة واللتان تنتميان الى‬
‫نفس النوع‪ .‬للتأكد من ان األزهار التي تقوم باختيارها للقيام بعملية‬
‫اساسيات عملية تكاثر النباتات‪ .‬يستلزم التكاثر النباتي في اغلب‬
‫األحيان انصهار خلية تناسلية أنثوية مع مثيلتها الذكرية‪ ،‬ويؤدي هذا‬
‫البشري‪ .‬وعلى الرغم من الغموض‬ ‫اخرى من نفس النوع‪ .‬فمثال الخوخ‬
‫التلقيح لم يتم تلقيحها بعد استخدم األزهار التي لم تتفتح بعد‪.‬‬ ‫االنصهار الى انتاج بذور تنمو وتصبح ذرية نباتية في نهاية املطاف‪.‬‬ ‫العلمي الذي كان يحيط بهذه العملية‬ ‫والكرز والدراق واملشمش كلها تنتمي‬
‫ان عملية التكاثر عند النباتات تحدث داخل الزهرة حيث توجد‬
‫‪ -٢‬اختر زهرة من نبتة واحدة من شانها ان تمثل الوالد (الذكر) وهي‬ ‫األعضاء التناسلية للزهرة وهي السداة واملدقة‪( .‬انظر رسم ‪)١‬‬ ‫الى نوع "برونس" ولذلك تتواجد إمكانية حتى عام ‪ 1860‬فان عملية النمو االنتقائي‬
‫التي ستوفر غبار الطلع و اختر واحدة من نبتة اخرى من شانها‬ ‫للتالقح بينها‪ .‬عندما تتم عملية التالقح للنباتات (التالقح) كانت تمارس منذ آالف‬
‫ان تمثل االم (األنثى) وهي التي ستقوم بتلقي غبار الطلع‪ .‬تأكد من‬ ‫املئبر‪ ،‬و الذي يتواجد في الجزء العلوي من السداة‪ ،‬هو الذي ينتج‬
‫اختيار زهرة ذكر تحتوي على مسحوق اصفر كثيف على مئابرها‬ ‫حبوب اللقاح التي تحتوي على الخاليا التناسلية الذكرية‪ .‬املبيض‬ ‫فان املواد الوراثية للنباتات املختلفة تندمج السنني‪ .‬و في العام ‪1865‬استطاع غريغور‬
‫وزهرة أنثى لها قلم ميسم المع ومكسو بالشعر وذو ملمس لزج‪ .‬قم‬
‫بتعليم االزهار بخيوط مختلفة األلوان المكانية تتبع وظائفها‪.‬‬
‫ويتواجد في قاعدة املدقة وهو الذي يحتوي على الخاليا التناسلية‬
‫األنثوية‪ .‬التلقيح هو العملية التي يتم من خاللها نقل (بوسائل طبيعية‬
‫لتنتج نبتة هجينة ذات صفات تنتمي لكال مندول و الذي قام بتجارب التهجني على‬
‫او اصطناعية) حبوب اللقاح من املئبر الى امليسم املتواجد في الجزء‬ ‫البازالء بصياغة قوانني الوراثة و بذلك‬ ‫النوعني األصليني لكنها تتمتع بخصائص‬
‫‪ -٣‬إلعداد الزهرة االم البد اوال من حمايتها من التلقيح الذاتي عن‬
‫طريق اخصاء سداة الزهرة‪ .‬قم بفتح الزهرة بلطف باليد وقم بقرص‬
‫العلوي من املدقة‪ .‬ويحدث هذا الشي عندما ينضج املئبر وينفتح مما‬
‫يجعل الوصول الى حبوب اللقاح ممكنا‪( .‬انظر رسم ‪)٢‬‬
‫فردية‪ .‬ال تظهر نتائج التالقح في الثمرة وضع األسس لعلم الوراثة وتحويل عملية‬
‫مئابرها أو أسديتها بامللقط‪( .‬انظر رسم ‪ )٤‬قم باستخدام العدسة‬ ‫املولودة من الجيل االول وإنما تظهر من التالقح الى مسعى علمي‪ .‬وفيما يلي نقدم‬
‫املكبرة اذا لزم االمر‪ .‬قم بتنظيف امللقط عن طريق الفرك بالكحول‬ ‫يحدث االخصاب‪ ،‬و الذي يتبع عملية التلقيح‪ ،‬عندما يكون غبار‬
‫قبل املواصلة‪.‬‬ ‫الطلع الذي بلغ امليسم قد نمى أنبوبا يمتد إلى أسفل قلم امليسم و‬ ‫خالل الثمرة النامية من بذور ثمرة الجيل دليل مفصل عن كيفية القيام بعملية تلقيح‬
‫الى املبيض‪ .‬تتطور وتتحد الخاليا التناسلية الذكرية واألنثوية داخل‬ ‫نباتي و الذي من شانه ان يمكنك من‬ ‫االول‪ .‬يمكن للتالقح ان يحدث بطريقة‬
‫‪ -٤‬يجب حماية الزهرة االم والزهرة األب من التلوث الناتج عن غبار‬ ‫املبيض و من ثم تتحول إلى بذور‪( .‬انظر رسم ‪)٣‬‬
‫طلع األزهار االخرى من خالل تغطية كل واحدة منهما بأكياس‬ ‫الحصول على نباتات هجينة‪.‬‬ ‫طبيعية حيث ينقل الهواء أو النحل أو‬

‫كيفية القيام بعملية‬

‫السيلوفان‪ .‬قم بربط االكياس من األسفل بخيوط او بمشابك ورقية‪.‬‬ ‫هناك ثالث انواع من األزهار‪ ،‬الزهرة الكاملة‪ ،‬الزهرة الغير كاملة‪،‬‬
‫(انظر الرسم ‪)٥‬‬ ‫الزهرة املركبة‪ .‬األزهار الكاملة هي النوع األكثر شيوعا وتحتوي‬
‫على كل من السداة واملدقة داخل زهرة واحدة‪( .‬انظر رسم ‪ )١‬وهذه‬
‫‪ -٥‬قم برفع الغطاء عن الزهرة األب‪ ،‬وبقرص مئابرها أو أسديتها‬ ‫االزهار قادرة على التلقيح الذاتي‪ .‬الزهرة الغير كاملة تحتوي اما‬
‫‪٦‬‬

‫‪٥‬‬
‫بامللقط‪ .‬ضع املئابر أو األسدية في وعاء بالستيكي صغير مغلق‪.‬‬ ‫على السداة او املدقة‪ .‬الزهور الغير كاملة التي تحتوي على السداة‬
‫(انظر الرسم ‪)٦‬‬ ‫هي أزهار ذكرية أو سداءية بينما تلك التي تحتوي على املدقة هي‬

‫التلقيح بين نباتات‬

‫األزهار األنثوية أو مدقية‪ .‬قد تنمو األزهار االنثوية والذكرية على ذات‬
‫‪ -٦‬االن قم برفع الغطاء عن الزهرة االم‪ ،‬وامسك بامللقط إحدى أسدية‬ ‫النبتة او على نبتني منفصلتني وتتطلب التلقيح من بعضها البعض‪.‬‬
‫الزهرة األب ومرر بلطف مئبرها عبر ميسم الزهرة االم‪(.‬انظر الرسم‬ ‫تتكون االزهاراملركبة من مجموعات من الزهيرات التي تبدو وكأنها‬
‫‪ )٧‬قم بتغطية الزهرة االم بكيس السيلوفان من جديد‪.‬‬ ‫أوراق تويجية تلتقي معا عند رأس الزهرة‪ .‬ويمكن لهذه الزهيرات‬
‫ان تحتوي على كال األعضاء التناسلية (زهيرات قرصية) او املدقة‬
‫‪ -٧‬فور اإلنتهاء من عملية التالقح يحدث اإلخصاب وتنمو البذور‬ ‫فقط (زهيرات شعاعية)‪ .‬اما األزهار املركبة تتُكون من مجموعة من‬
‫بشكل كامل حتى مرحلة الحصاد‪ .‬اذا كانت النباتات املنتقاة ال تثمر‬ ‫الزهيرات القرصية فقط او من كال الزهيرات القرصية والشعاعية‪.‬‬

‫مزهرة مختلفة‬
‫خضارا أو فواكه يمكن وقتها حصاد البذور عندما يصبح جراب‬
‫زهرة االم جافا او يبدأ بالتشقق‪( .‬انظر الرسم ‪ )٨‬اما اذا تثمر‬ ‫تعليمات عملية التالقح*‬
‫النباتات املنتقاة خضارا أو فواكه فستصبح البذور جاهزة للحصاد‬
‫عندما تستوي الثمرة وتكون األجزاء الحاملة للبذور قد وصلت‬ ‫األدوات‪:‬‬
‫مرحلة النضج‪ .‬ضع البذور املحصودة في كيس وخزنه في مكان‬ ‫خيط (لونني مختلفني)‬
‫دافء ملدة أسبوع وبعد ذلك قم بحفظ البذور في مكان جاف وبارد‪.‬‬ ‫ملقط‬

‫لخلق نباتات‬
‫عندما تصبح جاهزا‪ ،‬قم بزراعة بذورك املحصودة وراقب نمو نبتتك‬ ‫عدسة مكبرة‬
‫الهجينة‪.‬‬ ‫كحول للتدليك‬
‫اكياس السيلوفان‬
‫مشابك ورقية‬
‫وعاء بالستيكي صغير‬

‫* إن القسمني “معلومات أساسية عن التكاثر النباتي” و”تعليمات عملية التالقح” باإلضافة إلى الرسوم‬
‫املصاحبة مبنية على منشورة تحت عنوان “تلقيح النباتات كهواية” لجاي دي بتلر وان اف أوبكر من كلية العلوم‬
‫الزراعية وااللستهالكية والبيئية في جامعة اللينوي في اربانا‪-‬شامباين‪ .‬ويمكن الحصول عليها من املوقع‬
‫االلكتروني ‪[Link] :‬‬ ‫هجينة‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA‬‬

‫حصل على‬ ‫محلي (‪:)indigenous‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫الالتينية بمعنى “ظهرت‪،‬‬ ‫الالتينية بشكل مباشر أكثر وتعني‬ ‫أجنبي (‪:)alien‬‬
‫باالستمتاع‬
‫الجنسية)‬ ‫صفة‪ .‬ينشأ او يتواجد‬ ‫تبرعمت” من الفعل “جيرمينار”‬ ‫“النمو‪ ،‬الزراعة”‪ .‬في أواخر إنكليزية‬ ‫صفة‪ .‬الذي ينتمي الى بلد غريب‬
‫بحياة‬
‫االعتراف‬ ‫في مكان معني‬ ‫الذي يعود الى “جيرمني” ومعناه‬ ‫القرون الوسطى املعنى كان “زراعة‬ ‫• (عن نبات او حيوان) قدم من بلد‬
‫مستقرة في مكان‬
‫بشكل طبيعي‬ ‫“برعم‪ ،‬بذرة”‪.‬‬ ‫التربة” ومن هنا (بدايات القرن‬ ‫اخر وتوطن الحقا‪ .‬اسم‪ .‬الغريب‪،‬‬
‫جديد‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬أواخر‬
‫• يقطن في‬ ‫السادس عشر) نشأ معنى آخر‬ ‫وخاصة الذي ال يحمل جنسية‬
‫اإلنكليزية القديمة من‬
‫(لالجنبي) بجنسية بلد ما • (بال‬ ‫بيئة ما من‬ ‫تطعيم (‪:)graft‬‬ ‫وهو “صقل‪/‬تشذيب (القدرات‬ ‫البلد الذي يسكن فيه • نوع‬
‫كلمة “روت” وهي من “روت” من‬
‫مفعول به) تجنيس األجنبي (مبني‬ ‫األصل‪ ،‬وليس‬ ‫فعل‪( .‬مع مفعول به وعاد ًة بشكل ظرف‬ ‫والعقل اوالسلوك)”‪.‬‬ ‫نبات او حيوان جاء باألصل‬

‫ملحق المصطلحات *‬
‫النورس القديم ومرتبطة ب “راديكس”‬
‫للمجهول) ‪( -٢‬عاد ًة كالصفة‬ ‫من ادخاله إليها‪،‬‬ ‫حالي) ‪ -١‬عملية ادخال (غصن‬ ‫من بلد اخر وتوطن الحق ًا‪.‬‬
‫الالتينية وأيض ًا ب “وورت”‪.‬‬
‫متوطن) تأسيس (نبات او‬ ‫وهو غير محدود‬ ‫او غصني) لغرض التطعيم‬ ‫جهاز التشتت (‪:)diaspore‬‬ ‫األصل‪ :‬إنكليزي من القرون‬
‫حيوان) لحياة طبيعية في اقليم الينتمي‬ ‫بالضرورة باإلقليم‬ ‫او التوحيد بني نبتتني •‬ ‫اسم‪ .‬غبيرة‪ ،‬بذرة‪ ،‬او اي تراكيب‬ ‫الوسطى‪ :‬الفرنسية القديمة من الالتيني‬
‫كوني (‪:)terrestrial‬‬
‫له أصال • ( باالشارة الى نباتات‬ ‫او البيئة التي نشأ‬ ‫ادخال غصن التطعيم في‬ ‫اخرى لها وظيفة التناثر النباتي‪.‬‬ ‫من كلمة “الينيوس” أي “االنتماء لبلد‬
‫اسم‪ .‬من سكان‬
‫مزروعة) التوطيد بطريقة طبيعية‪ .‬األصل‪:‬‬ ‫منها‪( **.‬ال يختلف كليا‬ ‫(جذع) ‪ -٢‬دمج او ضم ( فكرة‬ ‫تبعثر (‪ :)diaspora‬اسم‪ .‬التشتت‬ ‫اخر“ من‬
‫االرض‪ .‬االصل‪ :‬أواخر‬
‫منتصف القرن السادس عشر‪:‬‬ ‫عن معنى كلمة “نايتف” أي‬ ‫او نظام) مع االخر بطريقة تعتبر‬ ‫وانتشار شعب‪/‬قوم ما من موطنه‬ ‫“اليوس” أي‬
‫االنكليزية الوسطى‬
‫من الفرنسية “ناتوراليز” من‬ ‫“مقيم أصلي” لكن يستخدم املصطلح‬ ‫غير الئقة عادة‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬أواخر‬ ‫األصلي • القوم الذي تناثر وتم تفريقه‬ ‫“االخر”‪.‬‬
‫(بمعنى‪ :‬مؤقت ودنيوي)‪:‬‬
‫الفرنسية القديمة “ناتورال”‪.‬‬ ‫عادة للمناطق األصغر حجما)‪ .‬األصل‪:‬‬ ‫إنكليزي القرون الوسطى من كلمة‬ ‫عن موطنه األصلي‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬يوناني من‬
‫من الالتينية “تريستريس”‬
‫منتصف القرن السابع عشر‪ ،‬من‬ ‫“غراف”‪ ،‬مصدرها الفرنسية القديمة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كلمة “دياسبيرين” وتعني “تناثر‪/‬تبدد”‬ ‫التخاصب‬
‫من كلمة “تررا” وتعني‬
‫طفيلي (‪:)parasite‬‬ ‫الالتيني “انديجنا” وتعني “أصلي‪/‬‬ ‫من كلمة “غراف” عبر الالتيني من‬ ‫من كلمة “ديا” وتعني “عبر” مع كلمة‬ ‫(‪:)cross-fertilize‬‬
‫“االرض”‪.‬‬
‫اسم‪ -١ .‬كائن حي يعيش‬ ‫محلي”‪.‬‬ ‫“غرافيون” اليونانية ومعناها‬ ‫“سبيرين” وتعني “تناثر”‪ .‬يعود أصل‬ ‫فعل‪( -١ .‬مع مفعول به)‬
‫داخل او على كائن حي اخر‬ ‫“قلم مستدق الطرف‪،‬‬ ‫املصطلح الى التوراة العبرية املترجمة‬ ‫تخصيب (نبتة) عن طريق‬
‫ازدراع (‪:)transplant‬‬
‫( ُمضيف) وينتفع‬ ‫مقيم اصلي (‪:)native‬‬ ‫أداة للكتابة” (وذلك‬ ‫(‪ )Deuteronomy 28:25‬الى اليونانية‬ ‫غبار طلع نبتة اخرى من نفس‬
‫فعل‪( .‬مع مفعول به) نقل (شخص‬
‫من استخالص‬ ‫اسم‪ -١ .‬شخص ولد في‬ ‫باإلشارة الى‬ ‫“أس دياسبورا ان باسيس‬ ‫في العبارة ِّ‬ ‫النوع • (بال مفعول بِه‪ ،‬عن نبتتني)‬
‫او شي) الى مكان او وضع آخر •‬
‫العناصر‬ ‫مكان معني ومقرون بمكان‬ ‫رأس املطعوم‬ ‫باسيلياس تس جس” وتعني “سوف‬ ‫تخصيب بعضهما البعض ‪ -٢‬الحث على‬
‫اعادة زرع نبات في مكان اخر‪ .‬االصل‪:‬‬
‫العذائية على‬ ‫والدته سواء كان يقيم هناك‬ ‫املدبب) ومن‬ ‫تكونون تناشرا في جميع اململكات على‬ ‫تطور (شيء) عن طريق تبادل األفكار‬
‫أواخر االنكليزية الوسطى كفعل يصف‬
‫حساب الكائن املضيف‬ ‫ام ال • ساكن محلي • (مصطلح‬ ‫“غرافيون” اي‬ ‫األرض”‪.‬‬ ‫واملعلومات‪ .‬األصل (من جذر‬
‫عملية اعادة تموضع النبات ‪ :‬من أواخر‬
‫‪ -٢‬الشخص الذي عادة‬ ‫مزدري وعتيق) ساكن اصلي ذو بشرة‬ ‫فعل “الكتابة”‪.‬‬ ‫الكلمة “فيرتايل”)‪ :‬إنكليزي من‬
‫‪٤‬‬

‫‪٣‬‬
‫الالتينية “ترانسبالنتار” من الالتينية‬
‫يستغل او يعتمد على اآلخرين‬ ‫داكنة كما كان يعتبرونه املستعمرون او‬ ‫متوطن (‪:)endemic‬‬ ‫القرون الوسطى‪ :‬عبر الفرنسية‬
‫“ترانس” اي “عبر” و‬
‫وال يعطي شي باملقابل‪ .‬األصل‪:‬‬ ‫الرحالة األوروبيون ‪ -٢‬نبتة او حيوان‬ ‫املوطن الطبيعي‬ ‫صفة‪( -١ .‬عن مرض أو‬ ‫من الالتيني “فيرتيليس”‪ ،‬من‬
‫“بالنتار” اي “زرع”‪.‬‬
‫منتصف القرن السادس عشر‪:‬‬ ‫ينتمي بشكل اصلي ملكان ما • ينمو‬ ‫(‪:)habitat‬‬ ‫حالة) يتواجد بانتظام‬ ‫الفعل “فيررة” ويعني “حمل”‪.‬‬
‫من الالتيني و قبلها اليوناني‬ ‫طبيعي في منطقة معينة‬ ‫بشكل‬ ‫اسم‪ .‬املسكن او البيئة الطبيعية لحيوان‪،‬‬ ‫بني جماعة معينة او في‬
‫استأصل (‪:)uproot‬‬
‫“براسيتوس” أي “(االنسان)‬ ‫لكن ليس محدد بها‬ ‫نبات‪ ،‬او اي كائن آخر‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬أواخر‬ ‫منطقة معينة ‪( -٢‬عن‬ ‫التالقح (‪:)cross-pollinate‬‬
‫فعل‪( .‬مع مفعول به) ‪-١‬‬
‫الذي يأكل طعام االخر”‪.‬‬ ‫بالضرورة‪ **.‬األصل‪:‬‬ ‫القرن الثامن عشر‪ :‬من “هابيتار” الالتينية‬ ‫نبات او حيوان) اصلي‬ ‫فعل‪( .‬مع مفعول به) تلقيح (زهرة‬
‫اقتالع شيئ (خاصة‬
‫من كلمة “برا” أي‬ ‫إنكليزية نهاية القرون‬ ‫ومعناها الحرفي “يسكن الشيء”‪.‬‬ ‫املنشأ او محدد بمكان‬ ‫او نبتة) عن طريق غبار طلع نبتة‬
‫نبات او أشجار) من‬
‫“بجانب” مضاف اليها‬ ‫الوسطى‪ :‬من الالتيني‬ ‫معني • يتمتع بتوزع طبيعي‬ ‫او زهرة اخرى‪.‬‬
‫التربة ‪ -٢‬نقل شخص‬
‫“سيتوس” وتعني “طعام”‪.‬‬ ‫“ناتيفوس” من كلمة “نات” وتعني‬ ‫محلي النمو (‪:)home-grown‬‬ ‫محدد في منطقة جغرافية‬
‫من موطنه او من مكانه‬
‫“يولد” من الفعل “ناسي”‪.‬‬ ‫صفة‪ .‬منتج في حديقتك الخاصة‬ ‫معينة‪ **.‬األصل‪ :‬منتصف‬ ‫ثقافة (‪:)culture‬‬
‫املألوف‪.‬‬
‫الجذر (‪:)root‬‬ ‫او بلدك • تابع او ينتمي ملنطقتك او‬ ‫القرن السابع عشر (كاسم)‪:‬‬ ‫اسم‪ -١ .‬األفكار والعادات والسلوك‬
‫اسم‪ -١ .‬جزء النبات الذي‬ ‫توطني (‪:)naturalize‬‬ ‫بلدك‪.‬‬ ‫من “انديميك” الفرنسية‬ ‫االجتماعية التي تنتمي ملجتمع او‬
‫انتزاع األعشاب الضارة‬
‫يثبتها باألرض او دعامة عادة‬ ‫فعل‪( -١ .‬مع مفعول‬ ‫او من الالتيني الحديث من كلمة‬ ‫قوم معني ‪ -٢‬زراعة‬
‫(‪z:)weed out‬‬
‫تحت األرض وظيفتها نقل املاء‬ ‫به‪ .‬عاد ًة‬ ‫هجني (‪:)hybrid‬‬ ‫“انديميكوس” من “انديميوس” اليونانية‬ ‫النباتات‪ .‬األصل‪:‬‬
‫فعل‪( .‬مع مفعول به) انتزاع‬
‫او الغذاء لباقي النبتة عن طريق‬ ‫ُجنس‪ ،‬او‬ ‫اسم‪ -١ .‬ذرية نبتتني او‬ ‫وبمعنى “مقيم أصلي” مبنية على”ديموس”‬ ‫إنكليزي القرون‬
‫النباتات الغير مرغوب بها من منطقة‬
‫األغصان وااللياف ‪ -٢‬املصدر او‬ ‫حيوانني من نوعني‬ ‫أي “قوم”‪.‬‬ ‫الوسطى (تشير‬
‫او‬ ‫او تربة ما ‪( -٢‬اقتالع شخص‬
‫السبب او املنشأ األساسي لشيء •‬ ‫مختلفني ‪ -٢‬شيء‬ ‫الكلمة في‬
‫شيء) انتزاع عنصر يعتبر‬
‫(جذور) املنبت العائلي او العرقي‬ ‫ناتج عن دمج عنصرين‬ ‫تبرعم (‪:)germinate‬‬ ‫أوائلها الى‬
‫رديء وغير مرغوب به من‬
‫او الثقافي وباألخص الذي‬ ‫مختلفني‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬أوائل‬ ‫فعل‪( .‬بال مفعول بِه)‪( .‬عن بذرة او‬ ‫قطعة ارض‬
‫مجموعة او جماعة ما‪ .‬االصل‪:‬‬
‫يسبب بارتباط عاطفي طويل املدى‬ ‫القرن السابع عشر كاسم‪:‬‬ ‫غبيرة) تبدأ بالنمو وتُصدر براعم‬ ‫مزروعة)‪:‬‬
‫االنكليزية القديمة من االسم‬
‫ملكان او مجتمع ما‪ .‬عبارات‪ :‬اخماد‬ ‫من “هيبريدا” الالتينية‬ ‫بعد فترة من الهمود • ُيسبب‬ ‫االسم من‬
‫“ويد” والفعل “ويديان” غير‬
‫الجذور‪( :‬عن نبتة) البدء باستخالص‬ ‫بمعنى “ذرية خنزيرة‬ ‫في نمو براعم (لبذرة او غبيرة) •‬ ‫“كولتور”‬
‫معروف املصدر األقدم‪ .‬متصل‬
‫الغذاء من التربة من خالل جذور‬ ‫مر ّوضة وخنزير بري‪ ،‬الى‬ ‫يتكون ويتطور‪ .‬األصل‪ :‬أواخر القرن‬ ‫الفرنسية او‬
‫بالفعل “ويدن” بالهولندية‪.‬‬
‫موضوعة جديد ًا • (عن شخص) البدء‬ ‫آخره”‪.‬‬ ‫السادس عشر‪ :‬من “جيرمينات”‬ ‫من “كولتورا”‬

‫*جميع املعاني للمفردات األعلى مأخوذة من معجم أوكسفورد للغة اإلنكليرية إال إذا تم ذكر مصدر آخر بالتحديد‬
‫**هذه املعاني بالتحديد مأخوذة من قاموس ويكيبيديا ملصطلحات علم النباتات‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – NADIA AL ISSA‬‬

‫تحتوي الخطابات و املصطلحات املتعلقة بالهوية واعادة التوطني ‪ -‬او النزوح ‪ -‬على‬
‫كثير من اإلشارات التي تتعلق بعلم النباتات فعادة ما نسمع‪ ،‬على سبيل املثال‪،‬‬
‫بمصطلح "اقتالع الجذور" او تالقح الثقافات وتشتت املهاجرين‪ ،‬ومصطلحات اخرى‬
‫مزدرية كـضرورة "انتزاع الالجئني" (باالشارة لألعشاب الضارة)‪ .‬يقدم لنا النظر‬
‫في هذه املصطلحات فرصة للتامل قي هذا النوع من التقاطعات اللغوية ودالئلها‪.‬‬
‫ما هو سبب تجذر مفهوم الهوية في علم النباتات؟ وكيف يتم فهمها نتيجة هذا‬
‫علم النباتات‬
‫وعالم‬
‫التجذر؟ إلى ماذا يهدف هذا النوع من تصوير الهوية؟ هل تظهر حاالت الشتات من‬
‫خالله مثال كظاهرة طبيعية أو غير طبيعية؟ ماهي االثار السياسية الناتجة عن تقديم‬
‫الشتات في شكل أحد هاتني الظاهرتني؟ ماهي الحصيلة الناتجة عن ربط مفاهيم‬
‫الهوية و االنتماء والنزوح بعلم النباتات مجازيا او حرفيا؟‬
‫يشتق الفعل "بالنت" في اللغة االنكليزية الحديثة من الفعل "بالنتار" الالتيني‬
‫ويعني "زرع" أو "ثبت في املكان" ولكن و عندما يضاف إلى الفعل بوادء‬

‫الهوية‪:‬‬
‫لغوية مثل "ري‪ "-‬أو "ترانز‪ "-‬يتحول معناه الجديد الى عملية نقل مفبركة تتنافى‬
‫مع الثبات املقصود باملعنى األصلي فيصبح أعادة زراعة أو إزدراع‪ .‬إن‬
‫الثبات والتحرك هي من مواصفات مملكة النباتات‪ .‬فبينما تتوطن بعض انواع‬
‫النباتات في نظام بيئي محدد في منطقة جغرافية محدودة فان بعضها اآلخر‬
‫وبالعكس تمام ًا تتمتع بتوزع شاسع في معظم ‪ -‬ان لم يكن جميع ‪ -‬النظم البيئية‬
‫الالئقة بها حول العالم‪ .‬باالضافة الى ذلك فان النباتات تتنقل بني النظم البيئية‬
‫من عبر التحرك بواسطة املاء والهواء والحيوان واالنسان‪ .‬و عندما تدخل هذه‬

‫التقاطعات‬
‫‪٢‬‬

‫‪١‬‬
‫النباتات في أي بيئة جديدة فقد تزدهر متجانسة مع النباتات األخرى أو‬
‫تتفشى بشراسة او تفشل بالتجذر كليا‪ .‬إن التعامل مع علم النباتات لغويا كان‬
‫ام فعليا قد يفتح مجا ًال للنظر في التشابه بني اشكال التنقل والتثبت املختلفة‬
‫ومحاوالت التحكم بها‪ ،‬سواء كانت تلك املتعلقة بتالقح النباتات و التناسل‬
‫الزراعي و تقنيات الحفاظ على التنوع البيولوجي او تلك املتعلقة بالتنقل‬
‫البشري عبر الحدود‪ .‬إن إعادة تنظيم الحياة الناتجة عن هذه التحركات اإلرادية‬
‫والالارادية تؤدي إلى إعادة تكوين أشكال املخلوقات على جميع املستويات‪،‬‬

‫اللغوية‬
‫كبيرة كانت ام صغيرة‪ ،‬والتي يمكننا متابعة تكونها على الصعيد الجيني و‬
‫التصنيفي والجغرافي‪.‬‬
‫إن ما يلي هو محاولة في التأمل ليس في النباتات فحسب وإنما في عملية الزراعة ايضا‪.‬‬
‫فالزراعة هي عمل خالق بما له من إنعكاسات سياسية محتملة‪ .‬إن هذا املنظور مبني‬
‫على التاريخ املشترك بني الزراعة و النشاطات املدنية مثل "حدائق النصر" او "فيكتوري‬
‫غاردنز" والتي ظهرت خالل الحرب العاملية االولى و الثانية والتي كان هدفها التخفيف‬

‫والحرفية‬
‫من ضغوط االنتاج الغذائي على االقتصاد الوطني والحدائق حديثة العهد ذات امللكية‬
‫املشتركة والتي تتميز باالمركزية و تقدم مخرجا من اإلحتكار العاملي لشركات الزراعة‬
‫الكبرى‪ .‬وأخيرا‪ ،‬و فضال عن فائدتها‪ ،‬فإن عمليتي التالقح والتخاصب الزراعيتني‬
‫يمكن إعتبارهما طرق ًا للتدخل في الوضع الراهن والقتراح احتماالت اخرى له ولتصور‬
‫املستقبل بشكل جديد‪.‬ا‬
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

‫ممشش من دمشق‬
6 ‫العدد‬
ATIF AKIN
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

‫تم إنتاج هذا العمل بمناسبة مشمش من دمشق‬

[Link]

‫ وبتنظيم عاطف أكني و ديلك وينشستر‬،‫مشمش من دمشق هو معرض بوكالة أبكسارت‬

‫ زر صفحتنا على‬،‫للمزيد من املعلومات‬
[Link]

‫تواصل معنا‬
delicious@[Link]

‫ رشا عرابي‬:‫ترجمة‬

apexart - istanbul
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 111
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 112

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 113

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 114

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 115

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – ATIF AKIN

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ATIF AKIN – 116

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

‫ممشش من دمشق‬
7 ‫العدد‬
PINAR ÖĞRENCI
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫التركية في شباط‪/‬فبراير ‪ Radikal‬األميركي وصحيفة ‪ Art Unlimited‬نُشرت هذه املقالة في موقع‬

‫وتم تعديلها ملشروع "مشمش من دمشق"‪.٢٠١٥ ،‬‬
‫الصور مأخوذة من صفحات الفيسبوك الخاصة بالفنانني بعد استئذانهم‪.‬‬
‫‪[Link]

‫مشمش من دمشق هو معرض بوكالة أبكسارت‪ ،‬وبتنظيم عاطف أكني و ديلك وينشستر‬
‫“املدن كاألحالم‪ ،‬مكوّ نة من الرغبات واملخاوف‪ ،‬حتى لو كان تسلسل خطابها سري‪،‬‬ ‫للمزيد من املعلومات‪ ،‬زر صفحتنا على‬
‫قواعدها سخيفة‪ ،‬وجهات نظرها مخادعة‪ ،‬وكل شيء يخفي شي ًء آخر‪”.‬‬ ‫‪[Link]

‫ايتالو كلڤينو‪ ،‬مدن غير مرئية‪.‬‬ ‫تواصل معنا‬

‫‪delicious@[Link]‬‬

‫عبر أشجار الزيتون‪ ،‬الفلم األخير من “ثالث ّية كوكر” لكياروستامي‪ ،‬الذي ُأنتج عام‬ ‫من بني املراكز الثقافية في الشرق‪ ،‬أصبحت‬ ‫ترجمة‪ :‬دعاء شيت‬
‫‪ ١٩٩٤‬يتمحور حول أثر زلزال ‪ ١٩٩٠‬في إيران على حياة سكان القرى املتضررة‪.‬‬ ‫اسطنبول املركز الوحيد تقريبا حيث يمكن‬
‫حسني‪ ،‬الشخصية األساسية في الفيلم‪ ،‬عامل بناء مغرم بتاهير‪ُ .‬ترفض عروضاته‬ ‫ألناس مختلفني التعايش معا‪ .‬العالقات املتوترة‬
‫للزواج باستمرار على اساس أنه غير متع ّلم وال يملك منزال‪ .‬في احدى الليالي‬ ‫وغير املستقرة بني دول الشرق األوسط تؤثر على‬
‫املعتادة حيث يتم رفض عروضاته املتكررة‪َ ،‬تضرب هزة أرضية القرية مطيح ًا بكل‬ ‫حرية الناس في السفر‪ .‬يكاد يكون من املستحيل‬
‫شيىء‪ .‬في فيلم يجمع الواقع بالخيال‪ ،‬على حسني وتاهير العمل على نفس املنبر‬ ‫إليراني الذهاب والعيش في القدس‪ ،‬لسعودي‬
‫املسرحي‪( .‬غالب ًا ما يعمل كياروستامي مع ممثلني وممثالت هواة‪ ،‬ويكتب نصوصه‬ ‫أو مصري أن يعيش في طهران‪ ...‬يُعاد إعمار‬
‫من بعد التعرف عليهم)‪ .‬في املشهد الشهير حيث يتحدث حسني مع املخرج‪ ،‬يفصح‬ ‫بغداد بعد الحرب‪ ،‬ولكنها حتى اآلن لم تتعافى‬
‫له كيف أن حزنه بسبب إفتقاره ملنزل وعدد املرات التي ُرمي هذا الواقع في وجهه‬ ‫كليا‪ .‬تم تدمير شبه كامل لحلب‪ ،‬ودمشق في‬
‫قد يكون ما أثار الهزة األرضية‪ .‬بعد وقوع الهزة األرضية‪ ،‬لم يعد لدى أحد منز ًال‪،‬‬ ‫خضم اليأس‪ .‬كانت غزة تحت القصف منذ فترة‬
‫ال تاهير وال أي من سكان القرية اآلخرين‪ .‬اآلن‪ ،‬يعتقد حسني أن كل من في القرية‬ ‫غير بعيدة‪ .‬نظرا لهذه الظروف‪ ،‬اسطنبول التي‬
‫أصبحوا متساوين‪.‬‬ ‫ال تزال مركزا آمنا ال بد لها ان تستضيف جميع‬
‫الالجئني وتساعد الفنانني والعلماء واملثقفني‬
‫عندما عدت في أحدى الليالي بعد الهزة إلى ڤان‪ ،‬املدينة التي ترعرعت فيها‪ّ ،‬‬
‫جل‬ ‫على الشفاء‪ .‬قد تكون هذه فرصة السطنبول‬
‫ما قمت به كان محاولة العثور على أختي وعائلتها‪ .‬كانوا يقيمون في شقة مريحة‬ ‫إلعادة بناء التنوع الثقافي الذي كانت تتميز به‬
‫في وسط املدينة‪ ،‬ولكن كل شيىء تغ ّير فجأة بعد وقوع الهزة‪ .‬اآلن‪ ،‬هم في خيمة‬ ‫يوما‪ .‬السوريون يعتقدون أنهم يشبهون األتراك‬
‫صغيرة وقاتمة على ساحل بحيرة ڤان مع عشرات الغرباء‪ .‬لن أنسى تلك الليلة التى‬ ‫أكثر من مواطني أي دولة عربية أخرى‪ .‬ونحن‪،‬‬

‫‪apexart - istanbul‬‬
‫أمضيناها في الخيمة تحت أمطار غزيرة‪ .‬بعد شهر‪ ،‬إنتقلوا إلى حاوية حيث أمضوا‬ ‫نجهل ثقافة بُع َد الكوع عن بلدنا! ألم يحن الوقت‬
‫ما تب ّقى من السنة‪ ،‬بما في ذلك فصل الشتاء بأكمله‪ُ .‬أضط ّروا إلى إرسال أوالدهم‬ ‫لكي نلقي نظرة أعمق من التوزيع الفئوي الذي ال نرى غيره في مقاربتنا إلى هذه‬
‫تحمل ظروف املعيشة في الحاوية‪ .‬لكن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الى منزل أمي في إزمير ألنهم لم يستطيعوا‬ ‫الحضارة؟ ألم يحن وقت أن ندرك ثراءها الحقيقي؟‬
‫ذلك لم يحميهم من املشاكل الجسدية والنفسية على إمتداد الشهور‪ .‬كوارث كالزالزل‬
‫والحروب تعادل حياة الجميع باملفهوم السلبي‪ .‬بعد خسارة منازلهم‪ ،‬ممتلكاتهم‪،‬‬ ‫كما قال زازا‪ ،‬على الرغم من إنهيار املنازل من حولنا‪ ،‬إن الحب ال زال ينمو…‬
‫واألسوأ من ذلك‪ ،‬أحالمهم للمستقبل ‪ ،‬املاليني من الناس تقف معا أمام نفس املصير‪.‬‬
‫السوريون الذين اضطروا إلى مغادرة بالدهم بعد الحرب منتشرون اآلن في بلدان‬ ‫ترجمة‪ :‬دعاء شيت‬
‫متعددة‪ .‬في هذا املقال‪ ،‬سوف أتحدث عن مجموعة معينة من هؤالء املهاجرين الذين‬
‫نلقبهم بالعرب أو السوريني ونختصرهم بتواجدهم اليائس‬
‫في الشوارع‪ :‬الفنانون السوريون‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 118‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫وصل توفيق (حلب‪ )١٩٨٨ ،‬إلى إسطنبول في آذار ‪ .٢٠١٤‬عائلته ال زالت في حلب‪ ،‬ولكنه‬ ‫محمد زازا (الرياض‪ ،)١٩٨٧ ،‬من أصل كردي‪،‬‬
‫وجد لنفسه شقة في أياناليشسوي‪ .‬كان توفيق ال زال تلميذا يدرس الطباعة الحجرية عندما‬ ‫ربي في السعودية وإنتقل إلى سوريا عندما‬ ‫َ‬
‫اندلعت الحرب‪ .‬قال انه جاء إلى اسطنبول مباشرة بعد تخرجه وما زال يعيش هنا‪.‬‬ ‫كان في الثامنة عشر من العمر‪ .‬جاء زازا إلى‬
‫اسطنبول منذ عام ونصف‪ ،‬ويقيم اآلن في شقة‬
‫في سيراسلڤيلر‪ .‬يوم ذهبت إلى محترفه كان‬
‫بارد ًا جد ًا‪ ،‬ونظام التدفئة لم يكن يعمل‪ .‬كان‬
‫زازا قد اقام موقد في وسط محترفه وكدس‬
‫كومة من الحطب قبيل الجدار‪ .‬عندما سألته‬
‫عن أكثر ما تغير في لوحاته بعد انتقاله الى‬
‫اسطنبول‪ ،‬كان رده "األلوان"‪ .‬قال انه كان‬
‫وتغير‬
‫ُّ‬ ‫مفتونا بالضوء القادم من الغيوم‬
‫األلوان الناتج عن تحركها املستمر في السماء‪،‬‬
‫وأنه وجد اسطنبول مدينة ملهمة جدا‪ .‬في‬
‫الوقت الحاضر يستعد زازا ملعرضه الفردي‬
‫املقبل في اسطنبول‪.‬‬

‫توفيق‪ :‬قبل أي شيء‪ ،‬ما تعنيه لي هذه العملية هو إستمرار اكتشافي لنفسي من خالل الفن‪.‬‬
‫إني أشعر بالحرب وبتداعياتها على مستوى شخصي‪ .‬هذا هو ما ينتابني عندما أنظر إلى‬
‫بالدي وإلى الصور التي تردني من هناك منذ أن رحلت‪ .‬في نفس الوقت‪ ،‬عندما أرى ما يأتي‬
‫من هناك في إيطار “الحقيقة”‪ ،‬ال يسعني أال أسأل نفسي‪" :‬كيف يمكنني تقديم ما أمتلكه أنا‬
‫شخصي ًا؟” أكثر من أي شيء‪ ،‬أود أن أعطي انطباعا ايجابيا عن كل ما لدينا هناك‪ .‬النزوح‬
‫له عواقب إيجابية وسلبية‪ .‬روح املدينة التي ينتقل إليها املرء واملشاكل اللغوية هي بعض‬
‫األمثلة اللتي بإمكاني ذكرها‪ .‬ولكن في نهاية األمر‪ ،‬يعود هذا للفنان أو للفنانة وملجهودهم‬
‫الشخصي‪ .‬بالنهاية‪ ،‬جعلت الحرب كل شيء أكثر شفافية وحقيقية‪ .‬اآلن أشعر أني أدرك املزيد‬
‫عن نفسي وعائلتي بسبب الحرب وتفاصيلها اليومية‪.‬‬

‫زازا‪ :‬أثناء العمل على نص مع ّين‪ ،‬علقت على كلمة “هوى”‪ ،‬أثارتني وأصبحت مصدر وحي‪.‬‬
‫من بعد ذلك‪ ،‬عدت إلى عملي‪ ،‬ولكن ذهني ظل يدور حول هذه الكلمة‪ .‬عدت والتفت إلى نص‬
‫عملي‪ ،‬ولكني كنت اسمع "موسيقى" هذه الكلمة التي تتجاوز معناها الحرفي‪ .‬هذه الحادثة‬
‫جعلتني أعيد النظر في مفهومي للشعر والهوية واألسماء‪ .‬ومع مرور الوقت‪ ،‬ترسخ اعتقادي‬
‫بأن هذه الكلمة هامدة وأنها تتعارض تماما مع مفهوم التغيير‪ .‬واآلن ‪ ...‬أنني أرسم‪" .‬الحب‬
‫ما زال ينمو‪ ،‬ولكن البشرية ال زالت غير قادرة على الرؤية‪”.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 119‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫ماهر عبدو (إدلب‪ )١٩٨٤ ،‬درس أوال النحت ومن ثم الدراما‪ .‬كان يعمل كمصمم مسرح لألفالم والتلفزيون لبعض الوقت ولكن عاد فيما بعد إلى الرسم والنحت‪ .‬بقي في مصر لفترة من الوقت‬
‫بعد اندالع الحرب‪ ،‬حيث عمل على مشروع فلم هناك قبل ان يأتي الى اسطنبول‪ .‬هاجرت عائلة ماهر إلى هاتاي‪ُ .‬زرته في محترفه في الطابق السفلي من مبنى في حالة جيدة في كورتولوس‪.‬‬
‫كان شديد السعادة كونه وجد محترف خاص به‪ .‬في حديثنا شدد على أهمية “املكان"‪ ،‬وأشار إلى أن أولئك الذين ُشردوا يحرمون من جزء هام من شخصيتهم‪ ،‬وأن وجوه الحرمان هذه تزيد‬
‫تشابها مع مرور الوقت‪ .‬وضع في يدي جرة من العسل والزنجبيل وأنا في طريقي إلى الباب‪ .‬وكانت عيناه مليئة بالحياة‪ ،‬تشع تفاؤ ًال بمستقبل في اسطنبول‪ .‬يقيم ماهر اآلن في بلدة صغيرة‬
‫اسمها سولزبخ روزنبرغ في جنوب أملانيا‪ .‬انه يخطط لالنتقال إلى ميونيخ بعد أن يحصل على رخصة إقامة‪ ،‬ويعمل في الوقت الحاضر على تحسني لغته األملانية‪.‬‬

‫‪ Istanbul has a magic Middle est‬ماهر‪ :‬انتقلت إلى مصر بعد أن تركت سوريا ولكني لم‬ ‫أمجد وردة (دمشق‪ )١٩٨٤ ،‬وصل إلى إسطنبول ووجد شقة في‬
‫‪ Istanbul is love‬أبقى هناك لفترة طويلة‪ .‬هذا ألنني لم أستطع العثور على‬ ‫بومونتي‪ ،‬بينما عائلته إستق ّرت في چاز َينتپ‪ .‬قال ان العديد‬
‫فنانني سوريني آخرين يعيشون حول حدود مصر‪ .‬لم أستطع‬ ‫من املالكني في الحي الذي يقيم فيه يتعاملون مع السوريني‬
‫الحصول على دعمهم‪ .‬ثم جئت إلى هنا وصراح ًة‪ ،‬الظروف‬ ‫بحذر أكثر شديد ويطلبون منهم ضعف مبلغ اإليداع املتعارف‬
‫‪Mybe here lm save more‬‬
‫هنا أفضل بكثير سوا ًء من حيث العالقات اإلنسانية أو الجو‬ ‫‪But i don’t have good live and job‬‬ ‫عليه‪ ،‬وهي املعاملة التي رددها العديد من أصدقائه‪ .‬تن ّقل‬
‫في الشوارع‪ .‬من وجهة نظري‪ ،‬إن املشكلة هي أن الحرب في‬ ‫أمجد كثيرا منذ أن التقينا‪ .‬لقد ذهب الى غازيانتپ‪ ،‬بودروم‪،‬‬
‫سوريا لم تنته بعد‪ .‬هناك عدم وضوح وغموض كبير حول ما‬ ‫ميديللي‪ ،‬ڤي َيانا‪ ،‬ولكنه اآلن يعيش في فرانكفورت‪.‬‬
‫سيحمله املستقبل‪.‬‬
‫أمجد‪ :‬أستطيع القول أن الهجرة كان لها أثر كبير على شكل‬
‫إنتاجي والقضايا التي يتمحور عملي حولها‪ .‬اللون الرمادي‬
‫هو اللون السائد في جميع لوحاتي تقريب ًا‪ ،‬ولكني بدأت بخلق‬
‫تناقضا أقوى مع األلوان الدافئة‪ .‬عندما بدأت الحركة الثورية‬
‫في سوريا عام ‪ ،٢٠١٣‬كان كل شيء سلمي ًا وأعمالي تعكس ذلك‪.‬‬
‫بقدر ما أحاول أن أبقي نفسي بمعزل عما يجري في بالدي‪ ،‬إال‬
‫أنه يمكن للمرء القول أنه من املمكن رؤية كل ما يحدث هناك‬
‫على قماش لوحاتي‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 120‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫كان لقائي األول بالثقافة العربية في املدرسة اإلبتدائية حيث كنا نتعلم قراءة القرآن‪ .‬كنت أتعلم القراءة‬
‫والكتابة باللغة التركية وقراءة القرآن باللغة العربية في نفس الوقت‪ .‬كل ما كنت أتعلمه كان مجرد كيفية‬
‫قراءة القرآن ولكن كان علي قراءته وفقا لقواعد القراءة الفنية‪ ،‬أي اإللقاء من خالل رفع وخفض الصوت‬
‫والتشديد على بعض األصوات عند الحاجة‪ .‬شائت الصدف أن من أقرب أصدقاء العائلة كانت عائلة بائع‬
‫أقمشة إنتقلت من ڤان إلى سيرت‪ .‬كانوا يتكلمون التركية بطالقة‪ ،‬لكن يفضلون العربية في أحاديثهم‬
‫اليومية‪َ .‬أوردت أمي إلى مطبخنا العديد من التوابل واألطباق التقليدية التي تعلمتها من جيراننا العرب‪.‬‬
‫كان لدى والدي العديد من األصدقاء التجار‪ ،‬وكنا نتعرف على العديد من العرب كنظيفة التى كانت تقوم‬
‫بإحياء موالد ال تنتسى‪ .‬في بعض األحيان كان والدي يقوم بدعوة زبائنه اإليرانيني‪ ،‬والعرب‪ ،‬واإلسرائيليني‬
‫للعشاء ويطلب من والدتي طبخ شيء مميز‪ .‬كانت والدتي غالب ًا ما تنزعج من هذه الدعوات املفاجئة‪ ،‬إال‬
‫أنها كانت تحب لقاء أناس جدد‪ .‬بالرغم من عدم وجود لغة مشتركة‪ ،‬إال أن الحاضرين كانوا دائما يجدون‬
‫طريقة للتواصل‪ .‬اآلن فهمت أن التجول في مختلف أنحاء األناضول بطبيعة عمله رعرع لدى والدي نوع من‬
‫أخالقيات التاجر‪ .‬كان يحب التعرف على أشخاص جدد بغض النظر عن دينهم أو عرقهم‪.‬‬

‫ِّ‬
‫نحضر لعدد يتمحور حول فنانيني سوريني يقيمون في إسطنبول‪ ،‬كان علينا أن نقرر كيف وأين‬ ‫عندما كنا‬
‫سنلتقي باملشاركني‪ .‬كان الحل البديهي لي‪ ،‬من دون أي تردد‪ ،‬اللقاء حول طاولة العشاء في محترف في‬
‫عثمان بيه‪ .‬جمع الناس حول مائدة العشاء هي عادة ورثتها من والدي‪ ،‬وأعتقد أن الجميع إستمتع بها‪.‬‬
‫الحق ًا ‪،‬عندما عاودت التفكير باألمر‪ ،‬تج ّذرت قناعتي بقيمة مشاركة الطعام مع هؤالء الفنانني الخمس‬
‫املشتتني في مختلف أنحاء اسطنبول ويعيشون في خطر ان يجدوا أنفسهم في ظروف جديدة تماما في ليلة‬
‫وضحاها‪ ،‬ألن التواصل والتعامل مع دوائر الفنانني في إسطنبول كان مشكلة مستعصية‪ .‬النغمة املوسيقية‬
‫للغة العربية ساهمت في كسر الجليد بيننا‪ .‬حاولنا قدر اإلمكان عدم التحدث عن الحرب‪ ،‬ولكن الحرب‬
‫بواقعها القاتم كانت تمزق حديثنا إلى قطع‪.‬‬
‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 121‬‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫حسان آغا (إدلب ‪ ،)١٩٦١‬يقيم في بايليكدوزو‪ .‬إنتقل إلى تركيا مع عائلته وطفليه‪ .‬ناصر يمثل جيل‬ ‫ناصر ّ‬
‫مختلف عن األربعة فنانني السوريني اآلخرين اللذين ينتمون إلى الثمانينات‪ .‬خالل حديثنا ابدى رأيه بأعمال‬
‫الفنانني األصغر س ّن ًا‪ .‬يستعمل ناصر في عمله عناصر من الهندسة املعمارية واملواد الحضرية‪ .‬يجد النسيج‬
‫العمراني في اسطنبول كونها مدينة تاريخية مألوفا جدا لكنه يحاول ُّ‬
‫تجنب املراجع التاريخية في عمله في‬
‫اآلونة األخيرة‪ .‬ذهب الى املانيا للعمل على مشروع معرض منذ فترة‪ ،‬وينوي العودة إلى اسطنبول في الربيع‪.‬‬

‫‪My dear friend Pınar‬‬

‫‪Im in Germany now‬‬

‫‪You are in the heart‬‬

‫ستتحملوننا‪ ،‬نحن السورييون؟”‬

‫ّ‬ ‫ناصر‪“ :‬إلى متى‬

‫ومشرفة للتواصل واستخدامه‬‫ِّ‬ ‫ناصر‪ :‬ما يجدر القيام به اآلن هو وضع الفن قبل السياسة كوسيلة صادقة‬
‫كوسيلة لخلق التعايش بني الناس‪ .‬الحرب وعواقبها االجتماعية تمنع الناس من عيش حياة كريمة‪ .‬الدمار‬
‫خلفه قوى الظالم يتجاهل حتى أبسط الحقوق اإلنسانية‪ .‬نحن كمجموعة صغيرة من األصدقاء‬ ‫الذي ُت ِّ‬
‫يعرف عن جمال الثقافة‬
‫ِّ‬ ‫ً‬
‫ا‬ ‫معرض‬ ‫رنا‬ ‫ّ‬
‫حض‬ ‫أننا‬ ‫حتى‬ ‫الصعوبات‪.‬‬ ‫كل‬ ‫من‬ ‫الرغم‬ ‫على‬ ‫الفن‬ ‫مواصلة‬ ‫نحاول‬
‫والتاريخ السوري‪ .‬ومع ذلك‪ ،‬فإن معظم هؤالء الناس لم يعودوا أحياء ونحن‪ ،‬بضعة أصدقاء‪ ،‬ننتظر هنا‪.‬‬
‫ملدن باردة‪ .‬في الواقع‪ ،‬كل ما كنا نريده كان بعض الدفء‪.‬‬
‫لمنا ال زال يعيش على األرصفة املحطمة ٍ‬‫ُح ُ‬
‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 122‬‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – PINAR ÖĞRENCI‬‬

‫بالنسبة لجميع الفنانني هنالك تشابه كبير بني اسطنبول ودمشق وحلب‪ .‬فمن الواضح أن العناصر‬
‫املعمارية والتخطيط الحضري في اسطنبول مألوف جد ًا لديهم‪ .‬اإلنماء الشرقي والغير ممنهج الذي حصل‬
‫إثر العالقات الجماعية وعملية الحداثة في القرن العشرين هي خصائص مشتركة للعواصم الشرقية للثقافة‬
‫والتجارة على مثال اسطنبول وبغداد ودمشق والقاهرة‪ .‬املناطق السكنية املوزعة حول املساجد واألماكن‬
‫العامة كاألسواق املغطاة‪ ،‬البزارات‪ ،‬والحمامات هي فقط البعض من املراجع التاريخية املشتركة ما بينهم‪.‬‬
‫كما أشار الفنانون ان الحياة االجتماعية في اسطنبول تشبه حياتهم في سوريا إلى حد كبير حيث يشعرون‬
‫أنهم في بالدهم حني يتسوقون‪ ،‬يطلبون الطعام‪ ،‬أو يمشون في الشوارع بالرغم من أنهم ال يتكلمون التركية‪.‬‬

‫سهل‬
‫صور وثائقي مع فنانيني سوريني قال أن هذا التشابه بني املدن َّ‬
‫ّ‬ ‫بالل علي رزا الذي‬
‫حياة الفنانني‪ ،‬إال أنهم سيجدون صعوبة في االندماج في املجتمع الفني في اسطنبول إن لم‬
‫يتواصلوا إال مع بعضهم البعض‪.‬‬

‫يزداد تنوع اسطنبول الديموغرافي كلما ق ُربت من السماء وتحولت إلى كتلة كبيرة من اإلسمنت‪ .‬يتناثر‬
‫السوريني في أحياء مختلفة في اسطنبول‪ .‬كما أشار بالل علي رزا‪ ،‬الفنانون يتبعون نموذج الوسط‬
‫واألحياء املحيطة املوجود في سوريا‪ .‬اللذين يقيمون في األحياء املحيطة يفضلون أحياء الجزء األعلى‬
‫من املدينة كبيليك دوزو‪ .‬األغنياء يفضلون نيسانتاسي‪ .‬الطبقة الوسطى تفضل أكساراي ويوسوفبازا‬
‫وكاراجومروك وجيڤا‪ .‬وأدنى طبقة تفضل أحياء مثل إيكيتللي‪ .‬هذا التوزيع ينطبق على الفنانني أيض ًا‪ .‬على‬
‫نسان آغا يعيش في بيليك دوزو‪ .‬أما في مدن‬ ‫سبيل املثال‪ ،‬محمد زازا يقيم في منطقة تقسيم‪ ،‬بينما ناسي َّ‬
‫ال‪ ،‬يتوزع السوريون الذين يقيمون‬ ‫األناضول الوضع يختلف تماما‪ .‬في غياب تقسيم على أساس طبقي مث ً‬
‫في چازينتيپ في أحياء معينة‪ .‬يواجه الالجئون معارضة أكثر حدة في هذه املدن مقارنة باسطنبول‪ .‬هذا‬
‫النوع من الضغط االجتماعي يدفعهم إلى البقاء على مقربة من بعضهم البعض‪.‬‬
‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PINAR ÖĞRENCI – 123‬‬
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

‫ممشش من دمشق‬
8 ‫العدد‬
HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER‬‬

‫تم إنتاج هذا العمل بمناسبة مشمش من دمشق‬

‫‪[Link]

‫مشمش من دمشق هو معرض بوكالة أبكسارت‪ ،‬وبتنظيم عاطف أكني و ديلك وينشستر‬
‫للمزيد من املعلومات‪ ،‬زر صفحتنا على‬
‫‪[Link]

‫تواصل معنا‬
‫‪delicious@[Link]‬‬

‫ترجمة‪ :‬شيار يوسف‬

‫لقد وصلتك رسالة من آيفي س‪.‬‬

‫آيفي ستانغالي فنانة تدربت في ورشة بدري رحمي أيوب‪-‬أوغلو في‬

‫األكاديمية بني عامي ‪ 1942‬و‪ ،1949‬وعملت هناك بني عامي ‪ 1949‬و‪ .1964‬وهي‬
‫من األعضاء املؤسسني ملجموعة “أون‪-‬الر” (‪ ،)On’lar‬التي تأسست عام ‪.1947‬‬
‫وطردت ستانغالي من تركيا خالل حملة اإلقصاء عام ‪ ،1964‬التي تمخضت‬ ‫ُ‬
‫عن نفي ‪ 12‬ألف يوناني‪ .‬عاشت بعد ذلك في أثينا بقية حياتها‪ .‬املصادر‬
‫الوحيدة املتوافرة عن إنتاجها الفني هي الكتب التي قامت بتصويرها‪ .‬ومن‬
‫بني هذه الكتب‪“ :‬يوتوبيا” (‪“ ،)1986‬إشعال حريق” (‪“ ،)1953‬سوق األقزام”‬
‫(‪ )1955‬و”اإللياذة” (‪ .)1962‬وتُع ّد الرسوم التي رسمتها للترجمة التركية‬
‫لإللياذة‪ ،‬بترجمة عزرا أرهات و آ‪ .‬قادر‪ ،‬أشهر أعمالها‪ .‬وقد اعتمدت هرا‬
‫بويوكطاشجيان وديلك وينشيستر على معرضني – “عشرون دوالر ًا‪ ،‬عشرون‬
‫كيلوغرام ًا” و “رسائل من بدري رحمي أيوب‪-‬أوغلو ومعاصريه – كنا نكتب‬
‫رسائل” – كنقطة بداية في بحثهما هذا‪ .‬ونجد آثار ًا لتجربة ستانغالي في‬
‫املنفى في رسالة كتبتها لبروفيسورها بعد الوصول إلى أثينا مباشرة‪ ،‬بتاريخ‬

‫‪apexart - istanbul‬‬
‫‪ 10‬تشرين الثاني‪/‬نوفمبر ‪ .1964‬وليس هناك دليل على أنها تابعت إنتاجها‬
‫الفني بعد ذلك‪ .‬ونظر ًا لهويتها وجنسها‪ ،‬فقد ت ّم التعتيم عليها لسنوات طويلة‪،‬‬
‫لتبقى آثار ممارستها الفنية متخفية بني صفحات الكتب التي ص ّورتها‪ ،‬دون‬
‫توافر أية معلومات تذكر عنها في أي مكان آخر‪ .‬وإذ تتحدث اإللياذة عن‬
‫نزوح اإلنسانية‪ ،‬فإنها تتضمن أيض ًا آثار ًا على نزوح فنانة ترى العالم من‬
‫منظور مختلف وتصارع لتخلق لنفسها فضاء لالنتماء‪ ،‬باملعنى االجتماعي‬
‫والسياسي والعاطفي‪.‬‬

‫هذا العمل مهدى إلى ذكرى آيفي ستانغالي‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 125‬‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER‬‬

‫ال أريد التعرف على الناس هنا‪ ،‬فأنا مشغولة على‬ ‫‪ 10‬تشرين الثاني‪/‬نوفمبر ‪1964‬‬
‫الدوام باألشياء في إسطنبول‪ .‬المرسم‪ ...‬المنزل‪...‬‬
‫مهردار‪ ،‬صوت النوارس‪ ،‬الحمام على سطح‬ ‫ساحل ُ‬ ‫أستاذي العزيز‪،‬‬
‫ساينور‪ ...‬ال بحر‪ ،‬ال حمام‪ ،‬ال صوت نوارس‪ ،‬ال قطط‬
‫ً‪.‬‬
‫لعشرين يوما‬
‫ُ إلى هنا‪ ،‬ولم أستطع أن‬ ‫ً منذ أن وصلت‬‫مضى عشرون يوما‬
‫ً‪ .‬من يدري ماذا يدور في رأسك في‬ ‫ً واحدا‬‫أكتب لك سطرا‬
‫هذا الخصوص؟ في الحقيقة‪ ،‬أجد صعوبة في الكتابة اآلن‬
‫هكذا راحوا يندبون في أنحاء املدينة‬ ‫ً‪ .‬ثمة خالء فظيع في داخلي‪ .‬ال أستطيع االنخراط‬‫أيضا‬
‫بينما كان اآلخيون‪ ،‬حني بلغوا هيليسبونت‬ ‫في أي شيء‪ ...‬أثينا مدينة جميلة‪ ،‬لكن ليس في هذه‬
‫قد عادوا أدراجهم‪ّ ،‬‬
‫كل إلى سفينته‪.‬‬ ‫ّ لكليهما بشكل فظيع‪.‬‬ ‫الشروط‪ .‬ال بيت‪ ،‬ال بحر‪ .‬أحن‬
‫أستطيع أن أرسم‪ ،‬لكن أصباغي في إسطنبول‪ .‬األصباغ‬
‫ً هنا‪ .‬كما أنه ليس لدي مكان للرسم‪.‬‬ ‫غالية جدا‬

‫مثلما تص ّد صخور الجبل اندفاع املاء‬

‫وهي تمت ّد عبر سهل واسع‬
‫حتى لو كان تيا َر نهر عظيم‬
‫إال أنها تصدّه وتبعثره في أرجاء السهل‬
‫ويعجز أي سيل قوي عن تحطيمها‬
‫هكذا كان اآلياسيون يصدّون هجمات الطرواديني‬
‫وبينهما اثنان مم ّيزان‬
‫هما أينياس‪ ،‬ابن أنخيسيس‪ ،‬وهيكتور الباسل‪.‬‬

‫كان الكثيرون يبكون على متن الطائرة‪ ،‬وأنا أكثر‬

‫ّ اآلخرين‪ .‬لكن حالما بدأنا بالهبوط إلى مطار‬
‫من كل‬
‫أثينا‪ ،‬بدأ الجميع بالضحك والمزاح مع بعضهم البعض‪.‬‬
‫أما أنا – كيف يمكنني أن أقول ذلك؟ – شعرت بشيء‬
‫يشبه الموت‪.‬‬

‫كانت ألف نار تضيء في السهل‬

‫ال يجلسون في وهج كل منها‬‫وخمسون رج ً‬
‫وقرب كل عرباتها كانت الخيول تقضم الذرة والشوفان‬
‫وتنتظر أن يطلع الفجر‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 126‬‬
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER‬‬

‫ٍ مبالغ‬‫كانت تبدو على وجوههم مالمح الرأفة‪ ،‬رأفة‬

‫ً هشّا‬
‫ً‪.‬‬ ‫فيها‪ ،‬وكانوا يتحدثون إليّ كما لو كنت شيئا‬

‫وظللت أسقط طوال النهار‬

‫ُ‬ ‫…‬
‫حططت على جزيرة ليمنوس عند الغروب‬
‫ُ‬ ‫حتى‬
‫بال حول وال قوة‬
‫حتى جاء السينتيون واعتنوا بي‪.‬‬

‫ماضة‪ ،‬ال يتوقفون‬

‫ق الصحفيون حولنا بكاميراتهم الوّ‬
‫ّبهم بإدارة ظهري لهم‪.‬‬‫عن التقاط الصور‪ .‬استطعت تجن‬
‫لكن مايا لم تستطع إنقاذ نفسها‪ .‬كانت هي الشخص‬
‫الذي أزعجوه أكثر من أي أحد آخر‪ ،‬وكانوا يشيرون‬
‫إليها ويقولون لبعضهم البعض «شخص خطير من تركيا»‬
‫ً‪.‬‬
‫ويضحكون معا‬

‫ُ على سيدة واحدة‬‫ال أريد أن أتعرف على أيّ أحد‪ .‬تعرفت‬ ‫لنقمته على املَلك‪ ،‬ونشر الوباء بني الناس‬
‫ّة خانم»‪ .‬إنها‬‫ّرتني هذه السيدة بـ «علي‬‫فقط‪ .‬ذك‬ ‫ألن ابن أتريوس قد أهان خروسيس‪ ،‬كاهن أبولو‪.‬‬
‫ً اآلن‪.‬‬
‫ّة‪ ،‬تبلغ من العمر أكثر من خمسين عاما‬‫مغني‬ ‫واآلن ها قد اقترب خروسيس من سفن اآلخيني‬
‫ً قليلة‪ ،‬لكنها ال تزال تغني‪ّ .‬‬
‫دلتني هذه‬ ‫تكسب نقودا‬ ‫ليحرر ابنته‪...‬‬
‫ّفتني على المحرر‪ ،‬في الحقيقة‪.‬‬ ‫ّر – عر‬
‫السيدة على محر‬
‫دلني المحرر على دار نشر‪ .‬أحمل معي الكتب التي‬ ‫وسيّ‬
‫ّرتها‪ ،‬سأطلعهم عليها‪.‬‬
‫صو‬

‫هل بإمكاننا تم ّني العثور على َمن سيأتي لنجدتنا بعد اآلن‬
‫أم إنّ جدار ًا سيحمينا أكثر من الجدار الذي لدينا؟‬
‫ليس من مدينة منيعة بالقرب نستطيع أن نستمد منها قوات جديدة‬
‫ونقلب املوازين‪.‬‬
‫إننا في هذا السهل الذي يحتله الطرواديون املدججون‬
‫والبحر من ورائنا‪ ،‬بعيدين عن بالدنا‪.‬‬
‫خالصنا‪ ،‬لذلك‪ ،‬في عمل أيدينا‪ ،‬وفي القتال باستبسال‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – HERA BÜYÜKTAŞÇIYAN AND DILEK WINCHESTER – 127‬‬
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

‫ممشش من دمشق‬
13 ‫العدد‬
KHALED BARAKEH
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

‫تم إنتاج هذا العمل بمناسبة مشمش من دمشق‬

[Link]

‫ وبتنظيم عاطف أكني و ديلك وينشستر‬،‫مشمش من دمشق هو معرض بوكالة أبكسارت‬

‫ زر صفحتنا على‬،‫للمزيد من املعلومات‬
[Link]

‫تواصل معنا‬
delicious@[Link]

apexart - istanbul
Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 129
 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH‬‬

‫اشتقاقياً يف علم النفس‪ ،‬مصطلح ال ِف َصام يعني‬

‫الفشل يف متييز الواقع‪ ،‬حيث يبدأ اإلضطراب‬
‫بشكل خفي وبطيء التطور‪ ،‬قبل أن ينتهي إىل‬
‫حالة من تقسيم العقل‪ ،‬والتي تفيض بدورها‬
‫إىل نوع من العزلة اإلجتامعية‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 130‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH‬‬

‫مع مرور الوقت وتراكم التجارب أصبحت‬

‫أكـرث انتباهاً من أي وقت مىض مليلنا الفطري‬
‫إلظهار انقساماتنا الداخلية التي رويدا ً تساهم‬
‫يف فصمنا عن كل ما هو آخر أو مختلف‪.‬‬
‫أبحث عن كثب يف هذه االنقسامات‪ ،‬معقدة‬
‫هي وصعبة عىل الفهم‪ ،‬ولكن إذا فكرنا يف‬
‫أوطاننا بوصفها كيانات قامئة يف ذاتها‪ ،‬كالعقل‪،‬‬
‫نستطيع بوضوح رؤية العديد من املدن‬
‫بشكلها املعارص وهي ال تزال تعاين من حاالت‬
‫انفصام حاد‪.‬‬
‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 131‬‬
 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

‫ ماذا يحدث عندما يجد أحدنا نفسه‬..‫ولكن‬

‫ولديه ارتباطاً وثيقاً مع هذا االنفصام؟‬

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 132

 APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH

‫ماذا يحدث عندما نواجه أنفسنا علناً مع ما‬

‫كان مرة جلياً يف الخفاء؟‬

Fig. 0 Caption TK L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 133

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH‬‬

‫مام ال شك فيه أن أي نوع من الشفاء قد‬

‫يحتاج وقتاً لرتميم نفسه‪ ،‬ولكن لتحقيق هذا‬
‫البد لنا من عدم التشبث بتاريخ األمل للميض‬
‫قدماً‪ .‬أن نفهم صورنا الجزئية املتنافرة ظاهرياً‬
‫كوحدة متكاملة باطنياً‪ .‬أن نعمل معاً عىل‬
‫تجاوز الحاجز النفيس الوهمي مبا يتامىش مع‬
‫ما هو محفور يف تاريخ جدران املدينة‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 134‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH‬‬

‫إذا كان االنفصام مبني عىل الوهم‪ ،‬فإن‬

‫الواقع املتكرر علمنا بأنه هناك دامئاً متسعاً‬
‫من األمل داخل الجامعات املختلفة لاللتقاء‬
‫مع بعضها عىل أرضية مشرتكة والعمل معاً‬
‫عىل تنقية االلتباسات الرمزية يف محاولة‬
‫ملعالجة تشوهات الذاكرة التي حدثت وما‬
‫زالت تحدث يف دواخلنا‪.‬‬

‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 135‬‬

 ‫‪APRICOTS FROM DAMASCUS – KHALED BARAKEH‬‬

‫يبدأ إذا ً تخطي الفصام العقيل بتعاون العقل‬

‫املفصوم‪ .‬تكون بداية العالج بالغوص فيه‬
‫والصعود بوعيه ضمن عوامله‪ ،‬مع األخذ بعني‬
‫اإلعتبار أن التلقني يجب أن يكون من خالل‬
‫تغذية وتحفيز الفكر الالشعور‪.‬‬
‫أثناء الشفاء مير الوعي مبراحل من القلق‬
‫أو الكآبة نتيجة اإلقرتاب من منطقة الذنب‬
‫واملوت ولقوعهام ضمن دائرة الشعور‪ ،‬ولكن‬
‫يف ذلك إشارة إيجابية تبرش بتحسن حالة‬
‫املفصوم وإقرتابه من حد الواقع والخيال‪...‬‬
‫‪Fig. 0 Caption TK‬‬ ‫‪L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – KHALED BARAKEH – 136‬‬
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

A FEW NOTES
ON A TIME
OF UNCERTAINTIES
MERVE BEDIR
 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

In November 2016 I met Walid Kowatlı in Gaziantep in intervene will be. As Ban Ki-moon compared the M10
Turkey to see the rehearsals of a new performance he to a slaughterhouse on the night of the incident, Dr.
has been preparing with artists living in the city from Sahloul, one of the volunteers of the hospital, gave a
Syria. Kowatlı is a theatre and cinema director from striking response: “This is a new normal that is cre-
Damascus in Syria, who studied in Sofia in Bulgaria in ated in this conflict that the international commu-
the 1970s, and lived in Sofia and Damascus for a large nity is tolerating. Besides the descriptions of what
part of his life. He started living and working between is happening, and the words of condolences, we are
Gaziantep and Dubai after the Syrian Revolution not seeing any action to stop this.” 1 In addition to its
began in 2011. We talked about this performance and direct meaning, this statement basically suggested
his recent films about children in the refugee camps the further potential increase of violence in Syria in
in Turkey, which depict hope and future in relation to future. Obviously, Walid Kowatlı and Dr. Sahloul were
the Revolution, besides destruction and trauma. This referring to the Assad regime and inviting interna-
text is not about my conversation with Kowatlı or the tional representation to intervene to stop the war. As
performance in particular, but certainly some of his we keep watching the violence of the war in Syria or
words from war to trauma, from hope to future, from the ISIS terrorist attacks in the media, I came to think
human rights to democracy, and the mobility of peo- that our tolerance for (seeing) violence has been
ple and artefacts have inspired its direction. increasing as well, and this is influencing the fear for
Talking about the last attacks on the M10 hospi- ourselves. A fear that the same might happen to us, to
tal in Aleppo, Walid Kowatlı mentioned the increas- our loved ones, that we might face 1. “Aleppo hospital
ing violence in the war over the last months. People the same violence one day so we raid: Ex-Assad classmate
speaks out”, Al Jazeera,
are left without water, hospitals are bombed. This should shut up against our auto- 2 October 2016, viewed 13
raises urgent questions as to where the threshold to cratic governments, or we might October 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 138

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

Border crossing
from Syria
to Turkey
(at Gaziantep),
2014, photo
by Kemal Vural
Tarlan.

Migration leftovers along Syrian border,

2014, photo by Kemal Vural Tarlan.

Nizip tent and container camps in Gaziantep, Turkey, 2015, photo by Merve Bedir. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 139
 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

have to leave our houses one day, we might have to I was in the camps around Zagreb, Dunkirk, and
flee… Lesbos for research this summer; refugees were
The fear of uncertainty is one of the elements we held for an indeterminate amount of time, to be sent
share in the infrastructure of trauma and pain, but to Turkey. The agreement on the exchange of Syrian
then we react differently. Zygmunt Bauman (2006) refugees between the European Union and Turkey,
describes it as the “liquid condition”, not knowing signed on 20 March 2016, has effectively altered the
what we can rely on or invest our hopes and expec- physical borders of Greece, by excising some of the
tations in, or not feeling secure and free, which, Greek islands in the Aegean Sea from Greece, making
according to him, might be an explanation for the them into black holes. All refugees, “aliens”, arriving
psychology behind the rise in nationalism and con- on these Greek islands, or intercepted in the waters
servative politics. Jacques Derrida explains this fear around them, are denied access to the mainland for
as the trauma for what the near or far future might the asylum application process, treated with man-
be holding for us. For refugees (in camps): “Yet, the datory detention, and, in time, sent to Turkey. This
schema of trauma must be complicated, questioned agreement breaches constitutions and the United
in its ‘chronoIogy’ – that is, the thought and order Nations human rights and asylum conventions. It is
of temporalization the term seems to imply. For the deemed that refugees are a threat to the security of
wound remains open because of terror of the future nations and that therefore they should be imprisoned,
and not only the past. The ordeal of the event has as but they are still part of humanitarian discourses.
its tragic correlate not what is presently happening or However, several organisations that work with refu-
what has happened in the past but the trauma to be gees, including the United Nations Refugee Agency
produced by the future, by the to come, by the threat (UNHCR) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), have
of the worst to come, rather than by an aggression already withdrawn from being involved in the man-
that is ‘over and done with’ ” (Borradori 2003). The agement of these newly defined deportation camps.
opening line of Walid Kowatlı’s new performance is a Due to this agreement, Lesbos is becoming an
warning amongst refugees: “Do not pay the smuggler offshore island which reminds us of the Australian
before he brings you to the other side”. government’s Pacific Solution in terms of its con-
*** sequences. But, onshore “islands” have also been

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 140

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

Container camp
(right) and Jungle
(left), Calais,
2016, photo by
Merve Bedir.

Maritsa river, border crossing from Turkey

to Bulgaria, 2015, photo by Merve Bedir.

Graffiti in Calais, 2014, photo by Kemal Vural Tarlan.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 141

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

The highway separated from the Jungle in

Calais, 2016, photo by Léopold Lambert.

Utopia 56, Grande-Synthe, France, 2016,

photo by Léopold Lambert.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 142

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

emerging, for instance in Idomeni, Grande Synthe after 2015 3. 2.  The Migrant Files,

and Calais, where the (national or international) law Michel Feher (2013-2015) 2013-2015,
viewed 13 October 2016,
does not protect the asylum seeker. People in the for- points out the transformation of [Link].
mal or informal camps are not even allowed to apply the modern state and the instru- com.
for asylum, so there is no exact reckoning of numbers mentalisation of national borders, 3.  UNITED for
Intercultural Action,
and names. Following investigations regarding the through which some wanted peo- viewed 13 October 2016,
new formal camp that opened next to the Jungle in ple and goods are encouraged to [Link]
Calais, my fellow researcher Leopold Lambert (2016) travel, while others become dis- [Link].
found that the camp is partially operated by Logistics posable. Walid Kowatlı adds to this argument, wishing
Solutions a company that works for the Egyptian Army, that those modern notions of human rights or democ-
which reminded me about companies like Serco that racy were not branded so easily, as they seem “sus-
have become massive “detention corporations” in pended” by implementation by now. Indeed, he adds
Australia. It is as though the state can practically cre- that we should look for the difference between peo-
ate an extra-territory for itself, where the law doesn’t ple or artefacts smuggled from Egypt to Italy, some
apply, and outsource its humanitarian responsibilities. end up in Lampedusa, others in Sotheby’s.
The Forensic Oceanography report on the Left-
to-Die boat incident (2012) reached a similar con- ***
clusion; due to the creation of too many borders in Many of us ‘in peace’ have displayed our empathy for
the sea, to the states and other actors producing many of those ‘in war’ through charity. It is as if they
extra-territories where the definitions of respon- are better away from our sight but still at our mercy
sibilities are blurred, a refugee boat sank as many – certainly most of us simply don’t want them ‘at
vessels witnessed (Heller & Pezzani 2012). Another home’. Most of us don’t actually feel responsible for
report by The Migrant Files collective listed all the what has been happening, at most we feel guilty. In
deaths with the dates of the “accidents” in the our conversation, remembering his university times
Mediterranean 2. This list used to be prepared by in Sofia, Walid Kowatlı referred to the Bulgarians’
UNITED for Intercultural Action, who could not keep Slavic Orthodox feeling of collective guilt, which
up with such numbers for lack of people and funding is, for him, maybe the closest to responsibility. This

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 143

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

Last ‘legal’ migrant

boat leaving from
Lesbos to mainland
Greece, 2016, photo by
Merve Bedir.

Migration leftovers in Lesbos, 2016,

photo by Merve Bedir.

Drawings of the memories of a security

officer in a detention centre
in Australia, photo by Sam Wallman.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 144

 A FEW NOTES ON A TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES – MERVE BEDIR

was also an explanation as to why the Bulgarians REFERENCES

— Bauman, Z. 2006, Liquid Fear, Polity, Cambridge.
didn’t betray the Jewish people who were hiding — 
Borradori, G. 2003, Philosophy in A Time of Terror:
from the Nazis in Bulgaria during the Second World Dialogues with Jurgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida,

War… Indeed, guilt seems to be another element in University of Chicago Press.

— 
Feher, M. 2013-2015, The Journey to Self-Esteem: How Human
the infrastructure of our pain, but what is the differ- Capital Blossoms, Online Lecture Series, viewed 13 October
ence between guilt and responsibility? Kowatlı con- 2016.

siders that responsibility is about the future, and yet — 

Heller C. and Pezzani, L. 2012, The Case of Left to Die
Boat, Report prepared for Amnesty International, Goldsmiths
people don’t want to think about the future in times University, London, 11 April, viewed 13 October 2016.
of uncertainty. — 
Lambert, L. 2016, “Report from Calais and Grande Synthe

James Baldwin once said most people don’t feel (Part 1): Two Political Architectures of (in)Hospitality”,
The Funambulist, 21 April, viewed 13 October 2016.
responsible for what their governments have done — 
Mead M. and Baldwin J. 1971, A Rap on Race,
in the past, and are still doing. He emphasised “the J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia/ New York.

long view”, as something we deeply need in the

atmosphere of short-termism today, and considered
the relationship between the past and the present in
“making sense of responsibility”. He added: “What I
am demanding of and for other people is what I am
demanding of and for myself” (Mead & Baldwin 1971).
As my mind seesaws between the refugee
camps and the “dead rooms” people create for them-
selves so as not to see or hear or smelI, I want to con-
clude my notes with another statement by James
Baldwin asking for a patient impatience: “We’ve got
to be as clear-headed about human beings as pos-
sible, because we are still each other’s only hope…
Democracy does not have to mean the leveling of
everyone to the lowest common denominator”.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – MERVE BEDIR – 145

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

THE SHAME
AND MISERY OF LIBERAL
DEMOCRACY:
EUROPE AND
MIGRATION FLOWS
CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO
 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

Historical capitalism has become established as a enable a critique to be traced on some of the matri-
dynamic structure of class domination and exploi- ces, forms and modes of expression in the design of
tation regarding the differential management of the exploitation by dominant classes and groups. The
workforce through its segmentation, fragmentation insubordination or insurgence of those groups in per-
and attribution of different ontological statuses built petual revolt and struggle, and the more or less elab-
primarily around race, sexuality and religious differ- orate and comprehensive conceptual condensing
ence. The constituent power of oppressed classes of diverse cries against domination gave theoretical
and groups – systemically produced by successive and discursive thickness to the revolt of bodies, sub-
and discreet sets of historically fluctuating structural jects and classes, and ensured that the ontological
devices of serialisation and subalternisation – has bolt of domination did not definitively slide across
always stated the value equality of social subjects as a divine intent or anthropological hex. Both strat-
throughout the historically verifiable political cycles egies were inherent in Western capitalism’s design
of capitalist modernity. That is to say, each systemic of domination and exploitation and bourgeois culture
cycle of capital accumulation and each anti-systemic right through the parable mapped out by modernity.
cycle of constituent antagonism, which can be veri- The consolidation of capitalism and the hegemony of
fied from the sixteenth century to the present day, its ruling classes has done little more than exponen-
has always formulated proposals, across its histori- tially accentuate, from the nineteenth century to the
cal arc, on the basic principle of the radical equality present day, this systemic logic.
of human beings against the barbarism of capital and The revolts and struggles of subjects, classes,
its serialised forms of domination and exploitation. groups and bodies, on one side, and the fragmentary
This, although stuttering and inadequate, opened an formulation of the oppression and theorising domi-
epistemic, imaginary and symbolic space that would nation of a project or set of emancipatory projects,

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 147

 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

on the other, have meant that the ontologization of mechanism, enabling the logic of the ontological clo-
domination, still acknowledging the brutality of capi- sure of domination to function in a selective space of
talism’s systemic racism and its unyielding histori- exclusion of state constitution and of socioeconomic,
cal persistence in Western countries and their zones political and cultural stratification. The parable of
of colonial expansion, has not closed in a project of liberal ideology, from Locke to the current neolib-
the masses’ totalitarian subjugation. However, this eral variant, plays that double game of recording the
trend of ontological closure is one of the systemic impact of struggles against the systemic exclusion of
lines constituting liberal and bourgeois hegemony the majorities, resulting from historical capitalism in
under historical capitalism, manifested, brutally and its longue durée, in terms of legal acknowledgement
savagely, in the current migration crisis. This clo- of formal rights, whilst also driving forward all possi-
sure has been organised throughout history – and ble modes of management and structural recreation
remains today – as a selective and strategic logic of the mechanisms of precariousness, exploitation
of discursive and regulatory production and as a and death, inclined, unremittingly, towards the ontol-
changing design of material devices to discipline ogisation of the domination, privation and destruc-
subjects and to configure life expectancies intended tion of the masses. European liberal democracies
for and imposed upon these oppressed classes and are, therefore, material mechanisms which allow sys-
groups, with the hope of crystallising, in the biol- temic exclusion and the ontologisation, anthropolo-
ogy, the body and gnoseology and cognitive capac- gisation and biologisation of domination to remain
ity, the functional needs of structural exploitation in perfectly secured as the possibility of reprogram-
the workforce which befit the reproduction of histori- ming the power structure of capitalism, an overt real-
cal capitalism. Said in political terms, it means that ity in the present-day management and behaviour of
the systemic organisation of poverty, exclusion and their systemic crisis.
violence, conceived as ontological correlates of the
inferiority of class, race and gender, historically con- The development of the migrant issue in Europe, the
stitutes the hard core of liberal ideology. Liberalism United States and other wealthy countries historically
and the bourgeois democratic concept bound to responds to the operation of a network of devices,
possessive individualism constitute a discursive running from that logic which racialises domination.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 148

 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

#overthefortess relay. Migrants at the Slovenian-Croatian border.

Photo: Carmen Sabello, Melting pot. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 149
 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

The impact of regulation on Europe’s borders; the and death as a weapon with which to discipline the
application of different immigration-based legisla- masses. Furthermore, they constitute a challenge
tions; the statute of second-class citizenship applied to the totality of the European liberal model’s demo-
to migrants regarding that which is constitution- cratic pretensions, now sufficiently trampled by the
ally in force in different countries; the labour treat- “democratic” management of the economic crisis by
ment of the migrant workforce in production chains; Brussels and Germany.
the administrative and penal management of illegal The migrant issue and the European Union’s
migrants in different EU States as a dangerous popu- democratic management of it over the past two
lation worthy of repression and/or expulsion; in addi- decades and, primarily, over the last years, has had
tion to the statute of marginalisation suffered by the another seismic effect on power, since it ushers in
populations coming from the former colonial empires a criterion of incommensurateness, which reduces
are subject to in many European countries – are all and debilitates the perpetually precarious balance
of them devices that can only work in a liberal politi- between civilisation and barbarism, introduced into
cal space, as this is established through the racial the systemic reproduction of historical capitalism by
and biological ontologisation of domination inside the struggles of oppressed groups. This criteria of
the framework of a capitalist accumulation structure “incommensurateness” involves familiarising those
maximising the reproduction of its power as the high- least affected by the impact of structural mecha-
est criteria of social order. Current border policies, nisms of overexploitation, poverty and exclusion with
and their preservation and indiscriminate use, in the highly probable logics which are highly possible for
European Union – constant mechanisms of death at reprogramming the reproduction of European capi-
all access routes to Europe via the Mediterranean or talist societies that truly exist. The game of liberal
the continent’s different western border routes fol- democracy entails, as a mass perception in the public
lowing the wars induced by Europe and the USA over sphere, creating an awareness of the possible gra-
the past twenty-five years in the Middle East – bear, dation of the use of its devices of social constitution
in their design and prolongation, the implacable and logics in terms of superexploitation as they are
logic of the systemic racism of historical capital- applied just now to the migrant people in a temporary
ism and the elite’s penchant for the use of poverty outlook on the collective perception of the possible

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 150

 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

limits of society at a given historical moment. This the definitive logic of (neo)liberalism and the demo-
unfurls other effects in the constitutional and politi- cratic content which segregates the historical repro-
cal metabolism of liberal democracies, for it obliges duction of its political forms. The current European
“national” citizens – and the set of social subjects populations’ perception of the migrant issue works
in general – to judge their political, social and eco- as the perfect counterpoint to degraded citizens
nomic rights against the shadow of the brutal logic in the making, considered in the new design of the
of class, over which the biologisation of exploita- European Union, which capitalism and its elites
tion has always hovered in each and every European have secularly administered on the continent’s rural,
national culture and, indeed, in the current project of impoverished and working class populations, not to
European construction. The handling of the migrant mention their colonial exportation to the rest of the
issue is, therefore, the most appropriate condensing world. The effect is incommensurate because the
of historical capitalism’s class logic, since economic construction of the reality of domination, exploita-
exploitation is, structurally, the condensing of a whole tion and poverty fundamentally takes root in the
series of sexual and racial devices and logics and the permanent production of the democratic-liberal dis-
management of hardship and poverty: exploitation course as a horizon of political construction across
is subject to the imperative to maximise minorities’ the whole arc of modernity and, needless to say, the
power in a systemic cycle of capital accumulation, for present time. It is also incommensurate, leaving aside
dominant classes and groups consistently build cul- the reality of external colonialism and neocolonialism,
turally, aesthetically and discursively, putting to use as the situation of refugees over the past two years
all possible forms, contingently, to debase the claims on the Turkey-Syria, Hungary, Balkan and Greece bor-
of justice and equality inside the framework of liberal ders; or the situation in the banlieues and the dis-
affirmation in the search and attainment of universal tinctly ethno-racial actions of the French police; or
justice. the situation on the Ceuta and Melilla borders with
The outlook of exploitation in capitalism is their razor wires and rubber bullets and the shock-
always the racialisation and cultural construction of ing episode on the El Tarajal beach in the first of
inferiority in every sense, which constitutes the life these Spanish cities; or Sarkozy’s and Berlusconi’s
and world of life of the oppressed classes. This is anti-Roma and anti-immigrant legislation; or the

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 151

 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

appearance and everyday running of organisations immense and phantasmic costs of repression, war
such as Alternative für Deutschland, Lega Nord, UKIP, and misery. The world’s misery is the misery of liberal
Aurora Dorada, the Austrian Freedom Party, the Dutch democracy, now called the European Union in Europe.
Party for Freedom, and France’s Front National – the Today the world’s wealth is the constituent power of
effect is incommensurate, as these facts are so mac- its migrant, impoverished and excluded populations.
roscopic ones that, in being confronted with the
liberal rhetoric, operation and political practices Madrid, 15 February 2017
of European states and the European Union, every
attempt at justice, equality and right (law and right)
irremediably blows up as organisational criteria in
these ostensibly democratic countries. What’s more,
the effects of the migrant issue are incommensurate
because each of these logics, episodes, and state
and social behaviours trace a line and set of political
dynamics, largely introjected by different European
governments, who attack, head-on, democratic-lib-
eral equilibriums from the now ailing European mate-
rial constitution and erase, at a single stroke and
irremediably, the possibility of building a democratic,
socially committed and intelligent European project.
The excess (of the exploitation) is now the nor-
mality (of the dispossession and subalternisation).
Today the dystopia of capitalism is the barbaric medi-
cine against revolution. Only the constituent power
of dominated classes and subaltern groups have, for
short periods, tipped the balance of this democratic-
liberal logic of poverty and annihilation, albeit at the

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 152

 THE SHAME AND MISERY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: EUROPE AND MIGRATION FLOWS – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO

Picture taken in
Lampedusa almost two
months after 3 October
2013, when during the
night a Libyan boat used
to transport migrants
drowned a few miles from
the port of Lampedusa.
The shipwreck caused 368
verified deaths and about
20 people missing. It
is considered one of the
worst maritime disas-
ters in the Mediterranean
since the beginning of
the XXI century. Photo:
Melting pot.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – CARLOS PRIETO DEL CAMPO – 153

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

THE “REFUGEE CRISIS”

AND THE CURRENT
PREDICAMENT
OF THE LIBERAL STATE
DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA
 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

In collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF),

the organization SOS Méditerranée rescues refugees in distress off the Libyan coast.
The photographer accompanied the NGOs and documented the rescue missions in the sea
and the life on board the Aquarius, December 2016. Photo: Laurin Schmid. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 155
 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

Last year, two democratic decisions – the results of leftist European philosopher Slavoj Žižek disguise the
the Brexit referendum and of the presidential elec- inability of Europeans to comprehend that they have
tions in the United States – reminded us how racial produced the circumstances forcing millions out of
and cultural difference sit at the core of nationalist their homes, to risk their lives crossing the dangerous
discourses and programmes. That these have taken Mediterranean waters and unfriendly lands in Eastern
place in the midst of this recent “refugee crisis,” and and Southern Europe. For it is not only that Western
used it to rekindle white supremacist desires, fur- Europe, the United States, and their global business
ther confirm the need to attend to how raciality con- partners are responsible for, with or without military
sistently checks universalist figures, such as that of presence– in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, the Democratic
the human being, the law, the liberal state. Focusing Republic of Congo, Libya, and the urban and rural
on the in/distinction between refugee protection warfare that prevails in economically dispossessed
and border protection, I find that raciality accounts places in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United
for why those displaced by wars of global capital do States. They are part of the juridical assemblage
not really move out of what I call the zone of violence that facilitates global capital’s (that is, state capital)
(Ferreira da Silva 2009). access to productive resources – bodies and territo-
Following the European responses to the most ries. What sustains this assemblage is the figure of the
recent “refugee crisis” in person and in the media, it human being who, much like the notion of the nation
is difficult to miss familiar terms and expressions that for most of the twentieth century, governs global
indicate how the racial is the most important politi- (state) capital ethical text. My argument here is that
cal concept in the global present. Neither the “wel- today the racial figure of the human being plays the
comes” from German and British authorities, nor same ethical role for global capital that the notion of
crucial commentary by the ubiquitous contemporary the nation played for industrial-state/ empire-capital

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 156

 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

for most of the twentieth century. It allows the demar- The legal framework for refugee protection includes
cation of whom falls on either side of the law, namely three main documents: the 1951 Convention Relating
the protective and the punitive. Put differently, law to the Status of Refugee, in the aftermath of the
enforcement – in the form of the war on terror, the Second World War, with the still prevailing rationale
war on drugs, and border protection – has become that “states have the responsibility to protect their
global capital’s most effective political strategy. Why citizens” and when it cannot do so, the international
is it that contemporary political theorists and phi- community steps in “to protect those basic rights
losophers have so little to say about it? Why don’t cri- of refugees”; then the Organization of African Unity
tiques of state capital, of global capital, tackle this? I (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of
have a hunch: we need to expand our political imagi- Refugee Problems in Africa; and the 1984 Cartagena
nation. At work in these strategies, the operative Declaration, covering the situation of Latin American
moment in global subjugation is the ethical grammar refugees. Basically, the “proper” refugee is some-
of raciality, which foregrounds the human being as a one who, in the 1951 Convention has a well-founded
physical and cultural entity, establishes very distinct fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion,
ethico-juridical subjects, a distinction that manifests nationality, membership in a particular social group,
in how they fare before the law. The problem however or, political opinion; who is outside his/her country
is that raciality also informs the political discourse of of origin; and who is unable or unwilling to avail him/
the contemporary left. herself of the protection of that country, or to return
I would like to comment on Slavoj Žižek’s blog there, for fear of persecution. In the 1969 OAU con-
and the two prescriptive statements he made about vention, any person compelled to leave his/her coun-
how refugees should be welcomed in Europe: (a) try owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign
They should assimilate to the European way of life domination or events seriously disturbing public
and (b) they should follow strict rules and regula- order in either part or the whole of his country of ori-
tions (Žižek 2015, Ferreira da Silva 2016). The sec- gin or nationality. The 1984 Cartagena Declaration
ond determination, as we know, is already in place, in adds persons who flee their countries “because
the framework of refugee protection, which is part of their lives, safety or freedom have been threatened
the Human Rights framework and International Law. by generalized violence, foreign aggression, internal

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 157

 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

Nicola Scotto, Meltingpot ([Link]). L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 158
 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

conflicts, massive violation of human rights or other In spite of our fragility, our self-perceived weak-
circumstances which have seriously disturbed pub- nesses, today it is Europe that is sought as a place
lic order”. As any legal documents, the refugee pro- of refuge and exile. This is something to be proud of,
tection framework establishes a negative right: the though it is not without its challenges. The first prior-
right not to be returned or the right to stay. Towards ity today is and must be addressing the refugee cri-
meeting this international legal obligation, to pro- sis. The decision to relocate 160,000 people from the
tect the right to stay, states – and multilateral enti- most affected Member States is a historic first and a
ties such as the EU – set up juridical structures of law genuine, laudable expression of European solidarity.
enforcement and management that have increas- It cannot be the end of the story, however. It is time
ingly focused, over the years and in particular since for further, bold, determined and concerted action by
9/11, on keeping refugees away. This has includes the European Union, by its institutions and by all its
outsourcing asylum seekers to neighbouring coun- Member States. 1
tries or keeping them in detention centres. To be sure, this is so because of the operation of
Not surprisingly, the European Union announced something that is implicit in Žižek’s first prescription
its response to the “refugee crisis” of 2015,with the – that refugees assimilate to European way of life. It is
release of the European Agenda on Migration – a precisely the ideology of global capital which he has
migration management programme which releases denounced on many occasions that plays a crucial
extra financial and other resources to be allocated role in his analysis of the refugee crisis – as a sort of
to border enforcement in Europe, the neighbouring intellectual trauma without which his speech would
countries in North Africa, and the places of origins make no sense.
of the refugees. When reading the document, it is What we find in the global present, in the nation-
difficult to miss the in/distinction between refugee alist challenges to the liberal states that find excuses
protection and border protection. Virtually all mea- in the recent “refugee crisis”, is how raciality (racial
sures announced to welcome refugees are designed difference and cultural difference) function as an
to protect Europe: the president of the European ethical device – which checked
1.  Jean-Claude Juncker’s
Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, introduced the the universality attributed to the speech is available
measures by saying: human being and law. It enables (viewed 8 March 2017).

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 159

 THE “REFUGEE CRISIS” AND THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE LIBERAL STATE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA

the collapse of the administration of justice into law REFERENCES

— 
Ferreira da Silva, D. 2009, “No-bodies: Law, Raciality and
enforcement (with distinct levels of lethality) – when Violence”, Griffith Law Review, vol. 18, no. 2, August,
its tools are deployed to write the global/ racial sub- pp. 212-236.

altern as an affectable I, or as a modern subject that — 

Ferreira da Silva, D. 2016, “Fractal Thinking”, aCCeSsions,
Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, New York, 27
thrives in violence. That is, because they construct April, viewed 8 March 2017.
the racial subaltern’s bodies and territories as signifi- — 
Žižek, S. 2015, “We Can’t Address the EU Refugee Crisis

ers of violence. The tools of raciality effectively justify Without Confronting Global Capitalism”, In These Times,
September 9, viewed 8 March 2017.
deployments of both total violence and law enforce-
ment, under the guise of protecting measures, but
which work under the state mandate for self-preser-
vation (Ferreira da Silva 2009).
If raciality informs both the nationalist trend now
threatening to occupy the liberal state and the politi-
cal discourse of the left, whence will a critique of
global capital be available to challenge both?

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA – 160

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

MIGRANTS…
REFUGEES…
PEOPLE!
ELA MEH
 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Kutina, Croatia, 2014, courtesy of Ela Meh. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 162
 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Migrants… Refugees… People! (or at least tolerated) transport was ensured. This
was an important and unprecedented, albeit short,
“It is pretty incredible,” said Ali to me this summer moment in the recent history of limitations on free-
when the reports of the so called “migrant crisis” dom of movement.
came up on the TV screen for the second time dur- Yet the debate in the mainstream political and
ing my short visit. “It took me 4 years to arrive from media arena was framed in entirely different terms.
Turkey to Germany, and now people make this jour- There were two dominant ways of conceptualis-
ney in 4 days.” Ali arrived to Germany some years ago, ing the people migrating: the securitarian and the
before the “migrant crises” took the international humanitarian discourse.
media’s attention and when the violence of the secu- The securitarian discourse presents the people
ritised borders was silenced, swept under the rug that migrate as a threat: the politicians and the media
and ignored by the media. often insinuate that they are a danger to cultural
and religious values, to social and economic welfare
The events of this “long summer of migration” – the or a danger to the health of the majority population.
term some have preferred over the talk of “crisis” – By presenting them as a threat, the securitarian dis-
indeed shook up the status quo. People migrating course is used to justify repressive measures, such
became one of the current topics that could not be as building fences and walls, closing borders, tight-
ignored and, in the opinion of myself and many of ening criteria for asylum, strengthening detention
my comrades researching and struggling for free- and deportations facilities, normalising hate speech,
dom of movement, they became the protagonists and building lagers that further isolate and margin-
of a very successful struggle against the European alise the newly arrived.
border regime. They formed a liberatory movement The humanitarian discourse – often presented in
and forced the EU to open up a corridor for (relatively) the liberal mainstream as the only viable (and much
safer and quicker passage. The journey from Turkey needed) opposition to the securitarian position –
to Germany used to be entirely illegalised for most presents migrating people as victims: as helpless
people from Africa and Asia, costing great amounts of recipients of philanthropic assistance. It presents the
money and many lives – and now the state-organised situation of migrants as a humanitarian catastrophe,

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 163

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

focusing on the immediate need of people, and

masking the underlying structural political, economic,
and social reasons that created this situation.
In my view, the humanitarian and the securitar-
ian approach are both part of the same dominant dis-
course about the people migrating. Both contribute
to their dehumanisation and attempt to strip them
of their autonomy.
In the this series of posts, I would like to open
some questions and share some reflections in order
to contribute to the counterdiscourses to the domi-
nant ways of representing people migrating. Similarly
to Marie Shear’s articulation of feminism (“Feminism
is the radical notion that women are people.”), a coun-
Photo by Lucie Bacon, PhD candidate, fieldwork 2015.
terdiscourse to the dehumanising representation
of people migrating could start from (unfortunately
more and more) “radical notion” that migrants/refu-
gees are people. Seeing them as people, rather than
dangerous threats or helpless victims of war and dis-
placement, is a starting point for a critical analysis of
the root causes that brought about the construction
of the “migrant crisis”, an analysis which appreciates
people’s autonomy and resilience and can serve as a
platform for collective struggles and solidarity.

Posted 21 Feb 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 164

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Centre for asylum seekers in Serbia. Photo by Lucie Bacon, PhD candidate, fieldwork 2015. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 165
 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

The Frightening But closing the corridor, militarising the border

and building fences does not stop the movement of
Successes of the Securitarian people – it only makes the journey illegalised and
Discourse thus much more difficult, dangerous, costly, and
ultimately deadly. The people who are fleeing war,
Soon after the people opened a corridor for (rela- who have no home to return to, will not so easily be
tively) safer passage into the EU this summer, the deterred. Many more might lose their lives – and the
member states started to respond with repressive responsibility for these deaths lies with those who
measures. While Viktor Orbán’s decision to build a made the decision to illegalise and criminalise migra-
fence along the border with Serbia and the subse- tion. Meanwhile the survivors of the EU’s migration
quent introduction of legislation that seriously crimi- policies will continue to move into the EU.
nalises undocumented migrants in Hungary seemed Illegalising migration has another important con-
outrageous in the summer of 2015, in just a matter of sequence: it disciplines the newly arrived workforce.
months plans of reinforcing borders – be it with razor The precarisation felt by all of us growing up in post-
wire fences, intra-Schengen control or quotas on Fordist neoliberalism is felt even more extremely by
entries – were taken up in all EU member states. those who are “illegal” or whose legal status is pre-
Repressive measures are culminating in a carious. To put it bluntly: if you spend all your life sav-
gradual closing of the corridor through the Balkans. ings and several months or years on a dangerous and
On the 18th of November, limitations were put in place, potentially deadly journey into Europe, then spend
which exclude everyone but nationals of war-torn months or years in (often prison-like) migrant camps,
Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan from traveling along the and you still are not sure if you will get citizenship
corridor. As of the 21st of February, Afghan nationals rights and face the constant threat of deportation to
are excluded too. If Afghanistan is no longer deemed where you fled from, you will likely be willing to work
war-torn enough to justify passage into the EU, for almost nothing and under abject and often life-
it seems it is only a matter of time until Syrians and threatening conditions.
Iraqis will be excluded too and the corridor will close The gradual closure of the borders will make
altogether. migration much more dangerous and render

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 166

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

illegalised people much more exploitable. But equally PS. This post was written on the 5th of March, only
frightening is the success of the securitarian dis- a few days before the humanitarian corridor through
course this closure represents. the Balkans officially closed on the 8th of March.
It is the representation of migrants as a threat
that became normalised in the media and politi- Posted 09 Mar 2016

cal climate of the last few months that is now used

as a justification for the closure of the borders and
increased repressive treatment. When the securitar-
ian discourse becomes normalised, taken for granted
and presented as the only truth, the divide between
“us” (the supposedly autochthonous population)
and “them” (the newly arrived) suddenly becomes
important. “We” are presented as essentially differ-
ent from “them”, the “domestic workforce” somehow
better and more deserving than the “migrant work-
force”. If the securitarian discourse is unquestioned
and accepted, the potential for solidarity between
people is broken. When my unemployed ex-school-
mate, who foresees no prospects to move out of
their parents’ house and can no longer pay for health
insurance tells me that “our” problem is the many
refugees that are “flooding” Europe, I am reminded
how frightening the successes of the securitarian
discourse are.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 167

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Eviction of Africa House, Calais, 2011.

Photo by [Link].

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 168

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

On Fear the country of their flight – and if they cannot prove it,
well then theirs is the well-founded fear they might
There is a sense of fear in the air in the recent months. face detention or deportation. And of course, there is
Fear of different kinds: some is well-founded, some the increase of racist attacks: in Germany, the arson
completely invented, some is spoken about openly attack on a lager, where migrants are accommodated,
and some is pushed deep down, denied and trans- are a regular occurence. All these fears also affect
formed into hate and violence or bravery and those who solidarise and support the newly arrived
compassion. – the supporters often living with the fear that they
The most obvious of all fears seems to be the one will be criminalised for helping those, who have been
spread by the securitarian discourse: migrants are illegalised.
a threat and you should fear them. Personally I feel The recent violence, but also solidarity and resis-
fear connected with the normalisation of such a dis- tance in the Jungle of Calais, which is currently being
course, as well as by the current rise of the extreme evicted, reminds me of the eviction I witnessed in
right and its political and grass-root influence. The the summer of 2011. Eviction after eviction, from
newly arrived, labeled as “migrants”, have good rea- the individual squats, to whole sections of the jun-
sons for different types of fears. There is increased gle, the violence is constant, increasingly brutal and
structural and police violence: as of the 8th of well-documented, but remains unsanctioned and
March, the humanitarian corridor is officially closed endorsed by the local and national authorities.
down. The recent illegalisation of travel has already The current eviction of the Jungle is much more
caused the first deaths: three people drowned try- large scale and even more brutal than the one I wit-
ing to cross a river in Macedonia, just days after the nessed in the summer of 2011. That time it was the
closure of the Greek-Macedonian border. The sense French riot police (CRS) that descended on and
of uncertainty as to what will happen to those who brutally evicted the “Africa House”, a self-organ-
have arrived to the EU in the past several months is ised squat in which we were staying with well over
frightening too. To be able to stay and qualify for refu- a hundred people from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
gee status, asylum procedures oblige people to prove Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The evening before
that they face “well-founded fear” of persecution in the eviction was announced, I was paralysed by fear:

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 169

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

I was afraid of the police violence, of repression, of important to me. I am really passionate about fight-
what will happen to all my friends who will find them- ing for this house, the space here is hugely important
selves homeless. Even though the Africa House, an and a temporary home for many. I am also very angry:
old, huge derelict building, was slowly falling apart how can people be ‘illegal’ and arresting them, beat-
and in many places did not have all four walls intact, ing them up, using tear gas on them is ‘legal’? It is all
even though it was raided by the police a couple of of these other things that make me do what I do and,
times a week, it was still a space of mutual aid and well, fear is just one thing among many I feel!”
solidarity, a place where you could gather some The lesson I took from her words was that it is
strength and know that a comrade is watching for crucial to identify fear as fear, allow ourselves to feel
the police raid and that they would wake you up with it fully, but also to think carefully about whether act-
whistle-blows before the CRS riot cops reach the ing out of fear is justified and to listen for other emo-
front gate. tions that exist parallel to, or despite the fear. It is a
Sitting next to my friend, who was preparing very helpful lesson for me, especially in the recent
some food and singing quietly to herself, I asked her months, with this sense of fear in the air…
how come she is not afraid at all about the events of
the next day. Her answer stayed with me till today. Posted 22 Mar 2016

“Do you think I am not scared?” she said. “I am

terrified, honestly! But there are many other things I
feel to. I allow myself to be scared, there’s no use in
fighting off fear, telling yourself you should not feel
it and trying to tame it – firstly, it never works and it
just eats up all your energy taming the fear, and sec-
ondly, if you are a normal human being, you will feel
fear when a squad of riot cops descends upon a
building you are staying in. But in the moments when
I feel afraid, I try also to listen to other emotions that
there are mixed with it and I try to remember what is

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 170

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Border-crossing point Berkasovo-Babska (Serbian-Croatian border), October 2015.

Photo by Lucie Bacon, PhD candidate. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 171
 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

The Smugglers threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, [...]

deception, [...] to achieve the consent of a person
The character of the “human smuggler” is often having control over another person, for the purpose
presented in the mainstream political and media of exploitation” (Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
discourses as a depraved, cruel and inhumane vil- Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women
lain, nested in his dark “criminal networks”, often and Children, Article 3). Trafficking thus necessarily
cited as the sole reason for the drownings in the includes the use of either coercion, threat or decep-
Mediterranean and other deaths along the EU borders. tion in order to force someone into exploitation. In
The “EU’s Action Plan against migrant its very definition, human trafficking is not based on
Smuggling”, for example, describes the cruelty of the informed and voluntary consent.
smugglers as follows: Human smuggling, on the other hand, might
“Ruthless criminal networks organize the journeys involve elements of deception, yet it is usually pretty
of large numbers of migrants desperate to reach clear to people involved in it what will happen: in
the EU. They make substantial gains while putting exchange for money, they will be transported across
the migrants’ lives at risk. To maximize their profits, a border, the passage through which is “illegal”
smugglers often squeeze hundreds of migrants onto for them.
unseaworthy boats – including small inflatable boats Of course smuggling is, in comparison to other
or end-of-life cargo ships – or into trucks. Scores of transfers over the border, often very brutal, difficult,
migrants drown at sea, suffocate in containers or per- life-threateningly dangerous and disproportion-
ish in deserts.” ately costly. And it of course opens the door for fur-
ther exploitation, extortion, deception and ultimately
In the media, the term “human smuggler” and human trafficking.
“human trafficker” are often used interchangeably – But all of this precisely because smuggling
yet the difference between the two is crucial. involves illegal cross-border transfers. It needs to be
Human trafficking is defined in the international kept in mind that the illegalisation of border-crossing
law as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, for some, creates a very lucrative and entirely illegal-
harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the ised market of facilitation of illegal passage across

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 172

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

borders. As any black market, this one too is entirely

deregulated and thus enables full blown exploitation.
But this is inherent to any black market, or indeed any
market full stop.
The structural conditions that enable the thriv-
ing of such a vibrant and lucrative black market for
smuggling, lie precisely in the restrictive migration
policies of the EU, which exclude a large portion of
the world’s population from traveling legally. The
increased budgets for more extensive border con-
trols and more advanced technological devices (CO2
detectors, heart-beat detectors, thermal cameras...),
are driving the invention of new, and always more
cruel and inhumane, ways in which people try to pass
through the border undetected.
Yet the moral indignation present in the main-
stream discourses seems to be directed mainly at the
human smugglers – the media discourses addition-
ally directing at them the moral outrage, spilling over
from the one aimed at human traffickers.
The focus on the human smugglers often takes
away the focus from – or event attempts to directly
mask – the root causes of the deaths and exploita-
tion that happens on the borders of Europe. As a pop-
ular slogan puts it so well: “seeing migration as the
problem is the problem”. Illegalisation of people’s Border-crossing point Berkasovo-Babska (Serbian-Croatian
movement is the problem. Strengthening borders is border), October 2015. Photo by Lucie Bacon, PhD candidate.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 173

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

the problem. Both force people to search for ways to

cross the border and this creates a black market for
border-crossing. When human smuggling becomes
cruel, disproportionately costly or inhumane, this is
a by-product of the much larger problem, which the
focus on human smuggling is precisely intended to
minimise or mask.

Posted 05 Apr 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 174

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

On the Pro-refugee Stickers

When I was in Berlin a couple of months ago, I noticed
a peculiar sticker on quite a few places around the
neighbourhood I was staying in. “I <3 RFGS”, it said,
and I took it to mean I love refugees.
Eventually I recognised the sticker as an instan-
tiaton of the pro-refugee sentiment behind the slo-
gan Refugees Welcome, which was adopted this
summer and widely popularised by various self-
organised groups and civil initiatives, appeared as a
guiding principle of many solidarity actions and was
even appropriated by many NGOs and associations.
I saw the I <3 RFGS sticker, I was struck by how
unfortunate the wording was. To be put into a cat-
egory of “refugee”, something really horrible must
have happened to the people in that category: usu-
ally something to do with war, persecution or fear for
one’s safety and bodily integrity. The legal recogni-
tion of the refugee status for most people pends on
very intrusive procedures, with lots of interviews,
where people need to explain what happened to
them, relive the experience and are constantly
checked by the disbelieving authorities for lies or
inconsistencies. During the procedure of recogni-
Belgrade, 2015. Storage space of an aid initiative for refu-
tion, the prospective refugees (called asylum seek-
gees. Photo by Lucie Bacon, PhD candidate. ers) have only limited rights and are usually housed in

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 175

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

isolating mass-scale accommodation facilities. And of the xenophobic responses to the movement of
even once people are recognised as being in the cat- people into the EU and while many wonderful and
egory of a refugee, this identity is often the first and praiseworthy initiatives happened under its ban-
most important feature that they are associated with. ners, the politics of it have more often than not gone
Besides the fact that refugees have a host of other unreflected. There have been many interesting criti-
identities, the identity of “refugee” is often one that cisms and a need to go beyond Willkommenskultur
they cannot shake of for years. A friend of mine, a ref- expressed.
ugee in Germany, often tells me how much he hates Most importantly, there is a danger for the
the German word for refugees – Flüchtlinge – and is Refugees Welcome movement to welcome refugees
getting increasingly hopeless that he would live the as silenced objects or as poor victims, in need of
day when the stigma associated with it would not fol- (German, white European) assistance and for it to fail
low him around anymore. to see the emancipatory potential in the struggle of
All in all, there is little to love about the refugee the newly arrived people for freedom of movement. It
experience, especially from the point of view of the also often failed to build on the self-organised strug-
person who is experiencing it. gles of refugees and migrants themselves, who often
But the sticker I love refugees seems to express a do not end their critique at a “lack of hospitality”, but
sort of orientalist romantisation and an essentialisa- direct their anger at the EU migration policy and the
tion of the figure of the refugee, which is not entirely apartheid between those with and without papers.
absent from the Refugees Welcome movement. Being When the solidarity work stops at the Refugees
a refugee is a category – and a really unpleasant one Welcome demand, it also fails to acknowledge the
to be in, at that – and besides all being the same cate- post-colonial power relations, the implication of
gory, the “refugees” do not have anything in common. the EU countries in the conflicts from which people
As the Persian saying has it: “five fingers are not the flee. In thinking again about the stickers, I was won-
same” – there is simply not a single feature (lovable or dering whether perhaps, besides all the Refugees
dislikable) that you could find in all the refugees. Welcome stickers that are around, there could also
The Refugees Welcome movement and the refer- be an array of other feelings expressed towards refu-
ence to Willkommenskultur both come as a criticism gees in stickers and slogans. Questions of collective

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 176

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

responsibility for past and present wrongs, acknowl-

edging privilege, looking at one’s own positional-
ity in the Refugees Welcome movement, composed
of mostly white middle class citizens, can bring up a
lot of different emotions. Where are anger, indigna-
tion, pain, regret? How about a “Refugees, sorry!”
sticker? Sorry for European colonial expansions of
the past, sorry for neo-colonial exploitation, sorry
that EU governments are involved in conflicts you are
fleeing from, sorry for the migration policy that kill you
in thousands and sorry for the horrible treatment you
receive in Europe.

Posted 17 Apr 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 177

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

Bapska border crossing (Serbian-Croatian border), autumn 2015, photo by Urška Martun. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 178
 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

The scripts reserved for the “refugees” in the

Beyond Rehearsed Narratives media, known so well to the public, are also known
and Expected Roles to the people put in the category of refugees. If their
perspective is included at all in these media reports,
It was a cold spring evening, about exactly a year they are mostly included as “the poor refugees”, the
ago, and I was drinking over-sugary black tea in a victims of persecution in home countries, falling prey
Belgrade park with a group of young Afghans. They to the smugglers and waiting to reach the safe haven
have been sleeping in the Belgrade parks or under of the EU.
the bridges for some days, some as long as a week In actual fact, people’s stories are much more
or two, waiting for their connection to continue their complex and nuanced than most media reports allow
journey towards the EU. The atmosphere was relaxed for. The reports focusing on “fleeing to save our lives”
and friendly, we were talking about all sorts of things, often simplify and obscure other, less geopolitically
joking and laughing. coloured factors. Stories of suffering on the way pre-
And then a journalist with a recording device vail and while reporting on the suffering is impor-
came by and he asked if I could translate a short inter- tant too, there is danger that they contribute to the
view with anyone from the group of Afghans. I was dehumanisation of “refugees”. Accounts of solidarity,
reluctant, but nevertheless asked the guys if anyone mutual aid and comraderie – perspectives that would
wanted to give an interview. One of them looked at underline our shared humanity – are often absent and
me and asked, just to be sure he got the journalist’s replaced by dehumanising victimisation and sweep-
request right: “So he wants us to talk about the war ing generalisations.
in our country and how we fled? Or he wants us to I do not want to spend more time here com-
speak about the difficulties we have been facing on menting on the reporting of what has been – prob-
the road coming here?” lematically – called the “refugee crisis”. My point is
I felt like what he was really asking was: which that the dominant victimising discourses about refu-
of the rehearsed narratives, reserved for “migrants, gees diligently reproduced in the media force people
sleeping rough in a park” does this journalist want to repeat and get trapped in rehearsed narratives.
me to repeat? These discourses impose on them expected roles (of

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 179

 MIGRANTS… REFUGEES… PEOPLE! – ELA MEH

being a grateful victim, for instance) which can be an exchange, an attempt to establish different rela-
difficult to break out of and ultimately benefit no one. tions and break the roles we were assigned as the
To illustrate this, I want to mention a conversa- “migrants” and “the rest”… And then during our con-
tion I had with M., a comrade who later became a dear versation, I think I understood why M. really asked me
friend. He was staying in a centre for asylum seekers this. Through talking to him it became clear that he
I have been visiting regularly with a group of volun- feels uncomfortable when “volunteers” come to visit
teers: all wonderful, enthusiastic, mostly younger the centers for asylum seekers because, when they
people, eager to help asylum seekers learn the lan- talk to him, he never really knows if they are interested
guage, become part of the society, and break the iso- in him as a person, if they truly engage with him, or if
lation that the camps they were accommodated in they just see him as a poor victim, “refugee”, Flüchtling,
produce. M. usually avoided the activities of the vol- panahande, izbjeglica… He certainly wanted to make
unteers, but on that occasion, he joined the gathering new friends, but he was afraid of not being seen as a
we prepared. When he realised I spoke his language, real person, but rather an object of someone’s help,
he approached me and asked me directly, skip- used so that some can feel better about their white
ping the usual polite questions: “Excuse me, I really privilege and the privilege of having an EU passport.
wanted to know why do all of you come here to help? He was afraid that he would be reduced to playing an
What’s your motivation for spending your time in the expected role of a refugee and not being seen for all
centre for asylum seekers?” those other things he is besides being a refugee.
The question and the genuinely puzzled, but Breaking the isolation of the centres for asylum
also provocative, expression on his face, cut really seekers and other manifestations of the camps peo-
deep: suddenly the expectation of gratitude, so often ple are often accommodated in when they first arrive,
imposed on those who are recipients of help, was is crucial – but doing this in a way that challenges the
replaced by a questioning of the motivations behind dominant view of “refugees” as victims and talking to
those who come and help. And it struck me how cru- them as simply people is equally important.
cial this questioning is.
We started talking about the motivations for help, Posted 06 May 2016

whether it is really “help” or could it be understood as

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ELA MEH – 180

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

BREXIT,
NEW NATIONALISM,
AND THE NEW POLITICS
OF MIGRANCY
JOHN BYRNE
 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall – symbolising most that underpinned these halcyon ideologies of a
potently the collapse of the former Eastern Bloc/ corporatised global family have increasingly been
Warsaw Pact alliance – and the alleged victory of brought into view. The real historical legacies of bor-
capitalism over communism – epitomised most ders, territory, ownership, sovereignty and financial
clearly by the publication of Francis Fukuyama’s exploitation, often stretching back to the colonialist
essay “The End of History?” (1989) – brought with expansion of the Industrial Revolution and beyond,
it a triumphalist rhetoric surrounding freedom of have brought unbearable pressures on the untenable
movement, freedom of access, and the postcolo- realities of contemporary inequality and privilege.
nial collapse of the nation state. In the same year, From the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait,
the birth of the World Wide Web brought with it a the fallout of 9/11 (as both the progenitor of the
corresponding utopian imaginary – a digital future American-led War On Terror and the political evan-
of free knowledge exchange, information flow, cul- gelism surrounding the US/UK led invasion of Iraq)
tural nomadism and global community. Within this through to the short-lived hope of the Arab Spring
framework people, much like mimes of information and its subsequent collapse into the most recent cri-
or goods to be shipped, were expected to take on, or sis engulfing the Middle East, the growing legacy of
at least to accept, that the status of migrancy was a the former West’s demise looms large.
core value in the shift towards a new world order; one During this period, the seemingly exponential
guaranteed by smooth transaction and the free flow growth of the European Union, as it sought to gob-
of financial exchange and built on precarity, flexibili- ble up large parts of the former Warsaw Pact, and its
sation, and cultural hybridity. accompanying federal rhetoric of free trade and free
However, since the collapse of the global econ- movement, epitomised by the Schengen Agreement,
omy some twenty years later, the true contradictions has papered over the cracks of growing fiscal and

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 182

 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

1.  One essential migra- judicial centralisation within key defensive postures began to be Stormont via Westminster,
tion flow was caused by
member states (most notably adopted by EU member states begins to slip alarmingly
the Balkan Wars between towards the conditions
1991 and 1995. However,
Germany and France). The finan- confronted with the influx of refu- of pre-Peace Process
despite the calls for cial conditions in Italy, Spain, and gees across roads, bridges, rivers, aggression, and as the
freedom that emerged from
especially Greece have under- and railway lines 1. most effective (and pro-
the former Yugoslavia European) opposition in
in the 1980s, and which
scored a contradictory rhetoric What none of us could have Westminster is now the
came to epitomise the of cultural liberalism, freedom of fully predicted in 2015 would Scottish National Party
radical possibilities
access and opportunity, accom- be the speed and calamitous (or SNP), it is genu-
of that era, the most inely hard to imagine a
repressive ‘defensive’
panied by severe financial con- aggression of the ‘global commu- less unitary or effec-
measures towards ‘new’ straint and control of member nity’s’ response to this condition. tive monarchic rule. Add
migrants/ refugees are
states through the Eurozone trad- Within a year the formerly ‘United to this, of course, the
practiced within the false coherence that may
so-called Visegrad Group
ing bloc. Kingdom’ 2 had voted for Brexit – a be invoked by a Brexit
(four countries, among As we have seen over the narrow margin of victory in a yes/ vote in which just over
them Hungary, that used
last few years, primarily through no, in or out referendum. What 51% of the population
to belong to the Warsaw voted to leave – most
Pact).
the lens of a spectacularising this catastrophic political miscal- under 45 year old citi-
2.  I refer to the for- media frenzy, the nomadic ide- culation on the part of the then zens voted remain – and
merly United Kingdom here
ology of free movement and Prime Minister David Cameron in which all the major
(and, later, its abbre- cities, virtually all of
viation as the former
access, guaranteed by a tacit illustrated (Cameron had pinned Scotland and over half of
UK) as a means to refer- belief in the abstract inheritance his hopes of re-election in 2015 Northern Ireland, voted
ence the increasingly
of Enlightenment Democracy, has to a vote-winning promise of this to stay, and you have
oxymoronic impossibil- a deeply troubled and
ity of the term United
been accompanied by the impo- referendum – which would keep divided island. See “EU
Kingdom. As Northern sition of border control, migra- the Eurosceptic right of his own referendum: The result in
Ireland, still under the
tion quotas and an alarming shift party in check – on the belief maps and charts”, BBC, 24
United Kingdom rule of June 2016.
towards the political right (at least that the ‘British people’, whoever
insofar as issues of migration are concerned). In they are supposed to be, would overwhelmingly vote
September 2015, these contradictions manifested ‘remain’) was that a largely neglected ‘underclass’ of
themselves in makeshift fencing and aggressive the population, who felt angry and aggrieved at their

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 183

 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

mistreatment by the present representational politi-

cal system, aired their voice. The Brexit vote was, by
and large, a vote against the privilege of Westminster
and Whitehall as a seat of distanced, elitist and dis-
respectful power. It was fuelled by unprovable lies
about the impact of ‘immigrants’ on ‘sovereign job
security’ rather than any real debate about the rela-
tive merits or dysfunctions of the European Union or
parliament. This ‘underclass’, once called a ‘work-
ing class’, had been abandoned almost two decades
earlier by New Labour, their traditional political
ally, who had forsaken them in the ruthless pursuit
of the ‘middle class’ vote. During the run-up to the
1997 election, in which Labour returned to power
with a landslide vote, it became increasingly obvi-
ous, to those on the traditional left of politics, that a
Blairite ‘Third Way’ was leaving both core heartland
of voters, and its core principles, behind. Left wing
sentiments soon became ‘old fashioned’ and ‘pros-
perity’, built on a slightly less uneven distribution of
wealth and access, became ‘good’. Whilst it became
increasingly difficult to differentiate between the
political rhetoric of right and left, an unrepresented
and overlooked majority, mainly situated in the former
A giant banner saying ‘Refugees welcome’ hangs on the ped-
factory towns and mining areas that had driven the
estal of the Statue of Liberty. The banner was hung from the
public observation deck on 21 February afternoon. It was
Industrial Revolution, became disenfranchised, cyni-
taken down more than an hour later. Photo: Vitória Londero. cal and angry.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 184

 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

This latent anger, hitched to a dewy-eyed fantasy – an abstract shibboleth that functioned largely as
of making ‘Britannia’ great again, has now secured the dominant political ‘other’ that we wanted it to
an economic autonomy for the former UK which be. This approach, in turn, was inflated by a sense
only seems viable if workers’ rights are abandoned, that deregulatory government policies were pulling
desperate financial deals are struck with any will- up the drawbridge of the Welfare State whilst, at the
ing nation (the former UK’s recent arms deal with same time, using culture and art as a means to do the
Turkey, despite the increasingly evident humanitarian dirty work of neoliberalism on its behalf.
abuses of the Erdoğan regime being a case in point) All of a sudden this shift has become more
and the City of London continues to be ‘open for busi- extreme and palpable – a wholesale recalibra-
ness’ as a deregulated tax haven for financial miscon- tion towards new nationalism and government as
duct and illegal dealing on a global scale. Welcome to mediatised business. The culture of Twitter and
workhouse Britain. Facebook, which so recently provided us with the
Similarly, the rust belt of America, the once com- hope of the Arab Spring, turned rapidly into cul-
fortable white industrial working-class backbone of ture ‘as’ Facebook and Twitter. In the post-truth
the post-World War II American expansionist econ- political landscape of Trump and Vladimir Putin
omy, has rushed to the aid of Donald Trump in return – in which the President of the United States can
for a range of obvious lies, vacant promises and take to the infosphere and respond to a Supreme
‘alternative truths’ about reconstructing America Court overruling judgment against his own uncon-
by building walls, both physical and metaphorical, stitutional and racist dictats as ‘bad’, our familiar
to keep ‘aliens’ and migrants ‘out’. In Trump’s own lines of resistance are in danger of being swept
words: “Let’s make America great again”. away. More alarmingly, our collective and constitu-
I fear that both Brexit and Trump may only signal ent resistance to this newly developing shift to the
the beginning of our troubles. And that, consequently, right (and on behalf of whatever may remain of left-
any forms of resistance, artistic, political or otherwise, wing radicalism) can no longer be effective simply
may need to be based on a recalibration of focus. Let by pointing this new condition out. Not as long as
us be honest, until relatively recently our ‘enemy’ has, traditional protests against such outbursts will be
more often than not, been neoliberal globalisation outnumbered by the rust-belt ‘likes’ and ‘smiley

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 185

 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

faces’ in support of Trump’s global chest-beating

and tub-thumping.
Within this complex, emerging – and horrifying –
milieu, the role, function, ideological position and real
legal (or illegal) status of migrancy has again come
under closer scrutiny and the possibility of multiple
abuse and/or reuse. Far from a simple noun to denote
the positive neoliberal condition of human move-
ment, or a verb to identify the action of this desired
movement, migrancy has become, once again, a
contradictory symbol of our status, fragility, precar-
ity and provisionality under the present conditions
of globalised capital, emergent nationalism and the
overt shift towards government as business. At the
same time, migrancy has become a political issue
to be dealt with, an indicator of responsibility, and a
cypher through which the ability of ‘wealthy nations’
to cope with fiscal challenge can be marked out as
an ethical and moral imperative. Likewise, migrancy
has become an embodiment of the other, a symbol of
those who cannot cope: a mass, or tide, that threat-
ens to engulf an established order and a comfortable
way of life; a pariah come to take what is rightfully
ours and, perhaps most depressingly, a phenomena
in need of fiscal calibration and organisation. After
Winston Churchill statue with a blue EU balloon during the
all, how can we truly measure, in the eyes of a nation- March for Europe protest in Parliament Square, London.
alist state, the difference between people as either Photo: Kathy deWitt.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 186

 BREXIT, NEW NATIONALISM, AND THE NEW POLITICS OF MIGRANCY – JOHN BYRNE

freeloading financial burden or truly displaced ref- of constituent alternative and possible change. Our
ugees? And, if we are to do so, what are the means mantra must be, now more than ever: Refugees are
by which we can even begin to imagine such a dis- welcome; we are, all of us, migrant.
tinction in the first place? Above all, what does this
move towards a more complex and difficult relation REFERENCE
— 
Fukuyama, F. 1989, “The End of History?”, The National
with migrancy tell us about our new status within the Interest, Summer.
shifting reorientation of post-post-communism?
These questions are no longer simply about
migrancy, or the migrant ‘problem’: they are now
forming the collective and constituent basis of our
resistance to economically coagulated power and
the systematic abuse and erosion of human rights
the world over. Our fight is, more than ever, to give
political voice and resonance to the overlooked,
those who cannot speak, as our own ‘democracies’
seek to silence and strangle our rights and civil liber-
ties too. In the wake of 1989, and the collapse of the
Eastern Bloc, the popularised romantic notion of the
global ‘nomad’ became currency within the newly
globalised art world. The significance of this loose
metaphor was obvious; border-crossing, mobil-
ity, hybridity, transnationalism and multiculturalism
were all to be celebrated and the new identity of the
globetrotting artist was its de facto embodiment.
Nearly thirty years on, we now need to welcome the
refugee and embody the social, political and eco-
nomic challenge of the migrant, for the very survival

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – JOHN BYRNE – 187

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

ŠKART MAPS
ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ
 ŠKART MAPS – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ

In 2013, Group 484 invited several associates, art- very fact that they had decided to set out on such a
ists, to work with asylum seekers in an asylum centre journey, made a radical change in their life – fleeing
near the village Bogovađa, in the vicinity of Valjevo wars, conflicts and poverty. Therefore, we were inter-
in Serbia. Several years before, Group 484 had col- ested in when, how and where they had been trav-
laborated with that asylum centre and others in elling before we met them in the asylum centre. We
many ways. The idea was to expand cooperation asked twenty nine of them why they had embarked
and introduce different research methods by work- on such a journey, what troubles they had survived,
ing with asylum seekers thus developing new con- how they had crossed the borders, how much they
tents in their everyday life. The number of migrants had paid the smugglers, about their experience with
in Serbia was not nearly as large as it is today, and the police, with the people in the countries they had
that issue, except in the narrow circles of activists passed through. Together, we sketched the answers
and individual organisations, was neither visible in the form of maps, in order to piece together their
nor topical at the time. In Bogovađa, we met people routes, which in some cases lasted up to seven years.
from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Guinea, Sometimes the maps lack detail, sometimes they are
Senegal, Syria... They were spending days in the cen- unclear, and sometimes they would skip parts of the
tre resting from their difficult journey. They reached journey. We wanted to avoid pathos and the illustra-
this centre by reporting to the police station upon tion of their sufferings. We wanted to show them their
entering Serbia illegally and expressing their inten- routes factually. Thus we sought to draw attention to
tion to seek asylum. We primarily did not want to per- the lack of humane asylum policy in Europe, which
ceive the migrants as victims, through the prism of has been especially evident in the last few dramatic
humanitarian paternalism, which is often the case in months, with rising racism and ethno-nationalism
art projects, but as courageous people who, by the of the “Christian Europe”. We also found the maps

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ – 189

 ŠKART MAPS – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ

extremely helpful later, during our work with high

school students in Serbia, during which we talked
about migration, asylum seekers and our attitude
towards them. It was extremely important to be able
to show the documents of this work with asylum
seekers in the exhibition The Border is Closed at the
Museum of African Art in Belgrade. Today, more than
ever, it is necessary to pose critical questions in dif-
ferent spaces about the current geopolitical situa-
tion in Europe and the changes this situation brings,
since they have a major impact on our future. The
museum is no exception, in fact, a museum as a com-
mon space where specific knowledge is created also
becomes the space of active reflection, which may
not only emancipate people, but also affirm perhaps
somewhat forgotten ideals of humanity and solidarity.

This text was published in the exhibition catalogue The

Border is Closed at The Museum of African Art in Belgrade in
September 2015, at the peak of an exodus of migrants via the
Balkan route.

These maps were made during work in the asylum cen-

tre in Bogovadja, Serbia, 2013-2015. For the first time
these maps were shown in the exhibition The Border is
Closed held in The Museum of African Art in Belgrade,
11 September-7 December 2015.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ – 190

ŠKART MAPS – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ĐORĐE BALMAZOVIĆ – 191

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

INTERVIEW
WITH
OLIVER RESSLER
BY NOVEMBER PAYNTER
 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

Oliver Ressler, stills from There are no

Syrian refugees in Turkey, 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 193

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

October-November 2016

November Paynter external borders and therefore significant zones for all
You first started to explore processes of migration kinds of documented and undocumented movement.
and immigration regulations in the 1990s before the In one project, Border Crossing Services (2001), Krenn
refugee crises became daily headline news. Can and I focused on human smuggling but used a term
you describe what spurred you to focus on issues of with a positive connotation – “Fluchthilfe” (escape
migration in your practice? aid) – in order to highlight the need for services that
help people to cross borders illegally. Due to the
Oliver Ressler restrictive policies of the European Union (EU), asylum
In 1995 I started collaborating with the Viennese art- seekers depend on human smugglers to get a chance
ist Martin Krenn, at a time when the far-right wing FPÖ to apply for asylum in European states, since the legal
(Freedom Party of Austria) was becoming stronger and possibility for them to enter the EU was annihilated.
stronger in Austria. The politics and discourse of the
social democratic/ conservative government in power November Paynter
shifted towards the right also. In a series of projects Wherever your work takes you, the EU and its policies
we worked on for a couple of years in public spaces seem to play a central role; can you discuss how you
in Vienna and Graz, we focused on right wing ideol- see the EU as a pivotal player in global conversations
ogy, how schoolbooks establish identification with the and regulations around migratory movements?
nation, the newly set up detention centres for refugees,
and state-regulated racism. At that time, Austria was Oliver Ressler
already in the Schengen zone but not the neighbouring Even though there are major differences in the legis-
countries – Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech lation, I think there are also common elements in the
Republic. Half the Austrian borders were Schengen ways the United States, the EU or Australia attempt to

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 194

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

control and limit migration. But the EU is geographi- (and of course of goods and other things as well).
cally much closer to central war regions. The Syrian Borders can be imagined as a kind of membrane
coast is just 100 km away from EU member Cyprus. that lets certain movement through and blocks
The wars of the US and European allies in Afghanistan, others. Their fictive nature (rather like the fictive
Iraq, Libya and Syria destroyed these countries and nature of nations) does not make them less real in
turned millions into refugees, many of whom attempt their effects. Borders are a central element in con-
to reach Europe. figuring the capitalist world, through the creation
But borders don’t only control mobility, they of zones with different modes of labour, different
also restrict rights. They create specific groups of kinds of exploitation and different forms of con-
migrants who, due to their insecure legal situation, sumption. All Syrian refugees are aware that they
are being pushed into forms of hyper-exploitation. An are not welcome by the European states, a fact that
increasingly large part of the immigrant population is many will consider cynical given the permanent
forced to live and work under conditions of constant military, political and economic interventions of
terror and insecurity. This is not simply a side effect of European states in the Arab world. And the Syrians
current border regimes, but politically intended. see they are being misused like a card in a politi-
cal game between Turkey and the EU – a game they
November Paynter hardly have any influence in.
Can you describe more precisely what you mean
when you say that borders are used as a tool to November Paynter
develop specific groups of migrants? Do those you The work you produced in Istanbul this summer
interview believe that there is often a policy in place was filmed immediately after the failed coup d’état
that sets out to organise people into segregated of 15 July. The production dates had already been
groups before they even attempt to apply for asylum? fixed and clearly this traumatic event unintention-
ally permeated the conversations you shared with
Oliver Ressler Syrian refugees. How did your approach to the work
Borders have become tools for managing, gov- and the resulting piece change as a result of this
erning and calibrating the movement of people unexpected timing?

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 195

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

Oliver Ressler, stills from There are no

Syrian refugees in Turkey, 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 196

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

Oliver Ressler a precaution against repression and unwanted con-

Having started to film shortly after this attempted sequences of all kinds.
coup d’état in Istanbul I realised how much the coup
– which from a distant position appears to have noth- November Paynter
ing to do with the Syrian refugees in Turkey – affects Can you explain why your research has tended to
their lives. In my film There are no Syrian refugees in focus on the conditions the refugees experience
Turkey (2016), a Syrian refugee argues that there is a once they are in some way settled or attempting to
collective memory that any political change affects settle in an urban context, rather than camps or other
the weakest link in the chain first – and Syrian ref- governmentally-zoned structures?
ugees are the weakest link in Turkish society. Low-
flying fighter-jets and military helicopters above the Oliver Ressler
main cities during the attempted coup had a trau- I was curious to find out what drives these people
matic impact on many Syrian refugees who have who decide not to attempt to apply for asylum in
fled war and were hoping for a safe life in Turkey. The Europe, or access one of the refugee camps in Turkey.
presence of three million Syrian refugees in Turkey In Istanbul, the refugees try to survive without any
is connected with AKP (Justice and Development governmental support by working in the informal
Party) being in power, and any change in power could labour market and renting cheap apartments. It is a
eventually question the status of these “guests” (as more active way of taking your destiny into your own
they are officially described in Turkey). Several of the hands – even though it has to be acknowledged that
scheduled interviews for my film got cancelled and these people are facing severe forms of exploitation
it was much harder than it would have been under due to their unstable legal situation. As often in my
usual circumstances to find people willing to speak work I define a certain framework I am interested in
in a situation of fear and uncertainty. Nobody knew and do research trying to learn as much as possible
what would happen next… As a filmmaker, I have a from the people who decided to live in these condi-
responsibility towards the people who participate tions. An important conceptual decision was not only
in the film, so I decided the speakers would only be to make a film about the personal situation of the
heard but not seen. Their anonymity is maintained as refugees, but also to provide a space for an analysis

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 197

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

of the Turkish and EU politics through Syrian refu- But there are also numerous inspiring acts of sol-
gees. To produce a film was my method to bring some idarity, like anti-fascist motorcycle groups establish-
of these stories, analysis and political viewpoints ing patrols in immigrant neighbourhoods in Athens to
together. prevent racist attacks. Even though such activities
are criticised as mainly symbolic, they also create a
November Paynter new climate and self-confidence.
You have looked at both the tragedies of the refugee
crisis and the potential for people to self-organise November Paynter
and find ways to exist – have you found any positive The narration in your film Emergency Turned Upside-
developments in political policies around migration, Down (2016) proposes that borders can’t just be
and in particular moments where the activism of ref- opened but must be erased in order to ensure true
ugees or others has sparked change? freedom of movement and emancipation. What are
the inspirations for the text and the fictional narra-
Oliver Ressler tor’s character?
Crossing borders without valid papers is a political
act. This act questions borders and confronts the Oliver Ressler
excluding concepts of citizenship and the nation This is not an easy question to answer because in the
state. For the most part of human history, people past years I have been working with so many social
moved freely without being criminalised, and I think movements, activists and political thinkers, that
in the long term we need to set up a global system that sometimes I get the impression that one of the few
grants free movement as a right for everyone. The so- common grounds for these diverse groups is the feel-
called “summer of migration” of 2015 was definitely ing that the erasure of borders is a major condition
one of the strongest and most inspiring occurrences for much needed global justice and re-distribution.
I have ever experienced; when the directed will of When working on the text for the film with my co-
hundreds of thousands of refugees to cross the EU author Matthew Hyland, Sandro Mezzadra and Brett
borders caused the Schengen system to collapse – at Neilson’s book Border as Method, or, the Multiplication
least for a couple of weeks. What a success! of Labor (2013, Duke University Press) served as a

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 198

INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

Oliver Ressler,
Emergency Turned Upside-Down, 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 199

 INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER RESSLER – NOVEMBER PAYNTER

great inspiration. In the past months, even for privi-

leged EU citizens it became visible how quickly pre-
viously open borders can easily be closed again. If we
take concepts of a global citizenship seriously, the
dissolution of borders is a major step. More main-
stream thinking people might regard this as utopian.
On the contrary, I have the sense that today it is more
utopian to believe that the current political shape
of the world with an insane and criminal division
between incredibly rich people and corporations and
billions of people who have almost nothing will con-
tinue, than to believe in major changes and ruptures
– that may also lead towards a dissolution of borders.

Oliver Ressler’s work There are no Syrian refugees in

Turkey (2016) premiered in his exhibition Who Throws
Whom Overboard at SALT Galata, Istanbul (23.11.2016
– 15.01.2017).

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – OLIVER RESSLER – 200

 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

THE MEDITERRANEAN:
A NEW IMAGINARY.
CONFLATED SCALES—
DEEP INCONSISTENCIES
ADRIAN LAHOUD
 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape

of the Eclipse, instal-
lation and projection,
2016. This project tracks
the movement of anthropo-
genic aerosols from north
to south, and the move-
ment of humans from south
to north. Emitted by
industrial processes in
the Northern Hemisphere
and carried into the air
by wind currents until
they float high above the
Atlantic Ocean, aero-
sols interact with solar
radiation changing ocean
temperatures and affect-
ing the intensity of the
wet season in the Sahel.
One consequence of exac-
erbated water stress in
the Sahel is a loss of
arable land, something
that intensifies exist-
ing conflicts and drives
diasporic movements of
people towards cities
like Lagos and the shores
of southern Europe.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 202

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

“Geological time and Crutzen in a now well-known article in Nature pub-

the chronology of human histories lished in 2002, where he proposed that with indus-
trialisation and the liberation of intensive energy
remained unrelated. This distance sources from fossil fuels a new geological epoch had
between the two calendars… been inaugurated. 2 Humanity had begun to interact
has collapsed.” 1 with and modify that aspect of the world once taken
for an ambient backdrop: the climate. According
The climate may well remain operative in writ- to Crutzen, given humanity’s new agency within a
ing Mediterranean history, but when that climate planetary-wide system of causes and effects, the cli-
becomes man-made, what kinds of consequences mate – whether benign or malevolent – enters into
does it hold for historical narration? The problem the calculus of all those things that can be put at risk
that organises today’s Mediterranean is of a different by human intervention.
order, an order of superimposition and conflation. It This era is already reorganising the Mediter­
is a problem that binds together the consequences ranean; one thinks not only of recent European initia-
of Western industrialisation, global carbon emissions, tives around sustainable energy in the North of Africa,
aerosol dispersion patterns, sea surface tempera- such as the Desertec project, but
tures, monsoons, precipitation, pastoralists, herders, also the forced displacements 1.  Chakrabarty, D. 2009,
“The Climate of History:
farmers, cultivars, migratory routes, treaties, coast of people towards the magnetic Four Theses”, Critical
guards, statistical models, satellite imagery, and attractor of the European coast- Inquiry, vol. 35, Winter,
detention centres. line. This series of episodes chart pp. 197–222, 216.
2.  Crutzen, P.J. 2002,
The idea of the anthropocene emerges as a the nascent formation of one of “Geology of Mankind”,
proposal for a new geological periodisation by Paul these problems: the nexus formed Nature, vol. 415, p. 23.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 203

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

3.  De Waal, A. 2007, by climate, climate science, migra- The Anthropocenic Equator
“Is Climate Change the
tion from the Sahel, and policing in
Culprit for Darfur?”,
the Mediterranean.
African Arguments, Royal
African Society, London,
“Back then, the challenge was to stop a
particular action. Now, the challenge
The World Dies
viewed 19 March 2017.
See also: UNEP, 2007,
is to inspire a particular action.” 4
from the North
Sudan Post-Conflict
Assessment, United
Nations Environmental
As of January 2013, almost all eight situations before
Program, Nairobi, p. 9.
The desertification of the the International Criminal Court (ICC) involve African
Sahel has been accelerating since the 1970s, and nations between the 20th northern and 10th south-
increased population growth, which puts pres- ern parallel. Investigations in Uganda, Democratic
sure on often unsuitable land, has put more bodies Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Darfur-
at risk. Combined with lower levels of precipitation, Sudan, Kenya, Libya, Ivory Coast,
4.  General Gordon R.
this has caused a drying of the Sahel, leading to pro- and now Mali are confined to a Sullivan USA (Ret)
longed water stress and reduced crop yields. Periods narrow equatorial belt on a single Chairman, Military
of extreme drought in the 1980s and 1990s placed continent, which U.S. security Advisory Board, Former
Chief of Staff U.S Army,
further pressure on the precarious livelihoods of its experts now refer to as a “corridor describing the shift
inhabitants. As the Sahara continues its expansion of terror”. Hyperbole aside, this from Cold War politics
down into previously fertile landscapes, the deadly anthropocenic equator plays a to Climate War preemp-
tion in G.R. Sullivan,
march is perfectly captured by the Zaghawa people critical geopolitical role in Africa’s F. Bowman, L. Farrell
of Chad and Sudan who say that “the world dies from resource security and indepen- Jr., P.G. Gaffney Ii,
the north”. 3 dence, which will depend on a P.J. Kern, J. Lopez, D.
Piling, J.W. Prueher,
more autonomous management of J. Truly, C.F. Wald,
oil and gas reserves according to and A.C. Zinni (eds.),
a nationalised model. National Security and the
Threat of Climate Change,
Within the Western media, Security and Climate CNA.
war crimes, crimes against org, Virginia, p. 10.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 204

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape of the Eclipse, installation and projection, 2016. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 205
 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

5.  Cassano, F. 2012, For humanity, and a legacy of camps, quickly as they needed to, leading 6.  Moon, B.K. 2007,
a Thought from the South
displaced persons, and famines to overgrazing, deforestation, and “A Climate Culprit in
in Southern Thought, Darfur”, Washington Post,
Fordham University Press,
reinforces the view of the Sahel erosion. Similarly, military conflict 16 June, viewed 19 March
New York, p. 1. as a space synonymous with vio- was and still is too often seen as 2017.
lence and suffering. The percep- a simple by-product of ethnic and
tion of a landscape characterised by either warlords, religious differences, the manifestation of ancient
jihadists, and child soldiers on one side, or drought- hatreds and tribal rivalries. More recently, however,
stricken adults and starving children on the other, another factor has come to play an increasing role
leaves the Sahel in a bind, caught in a cliché of either in this complex matrix of alleged causes. In a 2007
hyper-aggressivity (genocide, terror, and massacre) Washington Post article, U.N. Secretary-General Ban
or hyper-passivity (malnutrition and underdevelop- Ki-moon proposed anthropogenic climate change as
ment). While there is no doubt that serious issues are a contributor:
at stake and that many of them demand attention, it is Two decades ago, the rains in southern Sudan
no less important to note that the very constitution of began to fail. According to U.N. statistics, average
the crisis state forms an integral element within the precipitation has declined some 40 percent since
neo-colonial machinery and its management of for- the early 1980s. Scientists at first considered this to
eign territories. The south is always posed as “not- be an unfortunate quirk of nature. But subsequent
yet” modern, “not-yet” complete project. It is framed investigation found that it coincided with a rise in
in terms of its under development, described in terms temperatures of the Indian Ocean, disrupting sea-
of stagnations and pathologies which cannot but sonal monsoons. This suggests that the drying of
elicit sympathetic aid programmes and rescue pack- sub-Saharan Africa derives, to some degree, from
ages from the ever vigilant North. 5 man-made global warming. 6
The paternalistic Northern episteme has con- The Sahel is marked by a high variability of
crete material effects: for decades, it was assumed annual precipitation and a long-term trend pointing
that desertification in the Sahel was primarily caused to successively dryer conditions. Tensions between
by poor farming practices – that local farmers could pastoralists and farmers over dwindling resources in
not adapt to changing environmental conditions as conditions of desertification and water stress have

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 206

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

7.  Agamben, G. 1995, brought different groups and their that the continent is experiencing. These move-
“We Refugees”, Symposium.
conflicting territorial practices ments and their environmental triggers are not
A Quarterly Journal
in Modern Literatures,
into intimate proximity. exactly recent phenomena, however, nor does their
vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 114– These differences are not renewed intensity signal a fall from some prior Edenic
119, 119.
essentialist traits; in fact, cultural state of coexistence; the Sahel has always been
markers such as Arab or African are fixed to liveli- characterised by migratory patterns that have fol-
hoods more than ethnicity. What is happening in lowed resources and environmental transformation
Darfur then is a conflict between different ways of across longer and shorter terms.
existing in the world as multiple spatial and cogni- Poor environments and social stress do not sim-
tive practices superimpose on the same territory. In ply lead to migration, such that one term is always the
a condition of scarcity and within an ever-narrowing precursor to the next. Disentangling the factors that
bandwidth of viability, the peoples of the Sahel are lead to migration to adjudicate on migrant status, as
facing impossible pressures to coexist. In this con- either forced or displaced, is a fraught process. The
text, the Mediterranean beckons as one horizon of veracity of testimony is one basis on which these
escape. claims will be assessed; more recently, however, in
the case of dangers posed to larger populations by
environmental destruction, mathematical and sci-
The Political entific modes of knowing have come to complement
human ones. The mobilisation of science and espe-
Management of Movement cially advanced forms of statistical analysis occupy
an increasingly prominent position within the bio-
“… the refugee throws into crisis political space of environmental violation. Though
the original fiction of sovereignty.” 7 they do not touch the body directly, environmental
violations affect the milieu that bodies depend upon
Refugee movements intensify during periods of for their survival. However, because chains of cause
drought. In Africa, drought is thought to be partially (violation) and effect (bodies) are diffused through
responsible for the long-term pattern of urbanisation atmospheres, landscapes, and seas, they depend on

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 207

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape of the Eclipse, installation and projection, 2016. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 208
 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

8.  Keenan, T. and scientific forms of knowing such Established in 2005 and working 10.  G.A. Ariely, R.
Weizman, E. (eds.) 2012,
as simulation to make anomalies in cooperation with EU member Warnes, D. J. Bijak, and
Mengele’s Skull: The R. Landesman (eds.) 2011,
Advent of a Forensic
in environmental patterning vis- states, it helps coordinate 500 Futures of Borders: A
Aesthetics, Sternberg ible; these anomalies can then million annual crossings at the Forward Study of European
Press, Frankfurt.
help point to possible causes 1,792 designated EU border cross- Border Checks, Liron
9.  Col. Qaddafi as Systems Ltd for Frontex,
reported by N. Squires,
for the violation. Within interna- ing points. In their 2011 report Warsaw.
“Gaddafi: Europe Will tional law, evidence in the form Futures of Borders: A Forward
‘Turn Black’ Unless EU
of human testimony followed on Study of European Border Checks, the agency pro-
Pays Libya £4bn a Year”,
Telegraph, London, 2010.
from the aftermath of World War poses a series of scenarios as a way of rehearsing
II, building on definitions of geno- possible border conditions and the responses they
cide and crimes against humanity used in trials such might demand. 10 The “extreme wild card” scenario
as that of Adolf Eichmann. 8 But what happens to the in the report describes a condition in which the Euro
era of the witness when a crime is no longer visible has collapsed, leading to the exit of member states,
to unmediated human perception? In the case of cli- mass displacements of people due to climate change,
mate change, climate justice, and its future claimants and increased civil unrest in Sub-Saharan Africa,
around the shore of the Mediterranean, will the era placing excessive pressure on EU border controls,
of the model come to replace the era of testimony in which subsequently begin to collapse. The report
adjudicating humanitarian claims? concludes by proposing that preparations for emer-
gency situations and mass influxes should begin in
earnest, suggesting that the “Arab Spring” might
Securing Freedom have already made this wild card a reality by plac-
ing intense pressure on processing facilities such as
“Tomorrow Europe might those on the island of Lampedusa.
no longer be Europe.” 9 Today, the European border network extends not
only through the Mediterranean and around the EU
The European agency Frontex now assumes respon- territory but also deep into North and Sub-Saharan
sibility for controlling the shared European border. Africa, where it is conceptualised through the idea

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 209

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

11.  Lodge, A. 2010, of “pre-frontiering,” a kind of pre- wishing to enter Europe. This situ- 12.  C. Heller and L.
Beyond the Frontiers.
cognition of illegality materialised ation reached a climax during the Pezzani (eds.) 2012,
Frontex: The First Five Forensic Oceanography,
Years, Frontex, Warsaw.
through treaties and cooperative NATO-backed campaign against Forensic Architecture
security frameworks. 11 This “for- Qadhafi in February 2011, when he European Research Council

ward defence system” means that the north-south strategically played on European Project, London, viewed
19 March 2017.
imaginary of a border must be reconceptualised. It anxieties about the creation of C. Heller, L. Pezzani,
now exists as a network of policing, surveillance, and a “black Europe” by deliberately and S. Studio (eds.)

management extending across the surface of the intensifying Sub-Saharan migrant 2012, Forensic
Oceanography: Report on
Earth and sea, from the Arctic to the Equator, but also transit to Europe and effectively the ‘Left-to-Die Boat’.
increasingly as a thick vertical depth, since it also weaponising the traffic in refu- (London: Centre for

includes electromagnetic detection systems and gees, leading to an undetermined Research Architecture,
Goldsmiths).
orbiting satellites. This infrastructure attempts to number of deaths at sea. 12
shift the burden of policing to non-EU states such as
Libya, Algeria and Morocco in order to limit the legal
obligations conferred to claimants within sovereign
European territory.
In 1999, at a summit for the Organization of
African Unity, Colonel Qadhafi initiated a policy of
unrestricted movement in Libya for anyone holding
an African passport. Qadhafi’s decision to reorient
the nation’s geopolitical attention to the south can
be read in two ways, first as giving a renewed impe-
tus to the promising idea of an African Union, or more
cynically as a desire to access a cheap labour pool
of southern workers. Moreover, by mid-2000 Libya, at
both an informal and formal level, increasingly began
to operate as a staging post for African migrants

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 210

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape of the Eclipse, installation and projection, 2016. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 211
 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Surface Temperatures (SST) in the Inter-tropical

Desert Forensics Convergence Zone (ITCZ), aerosol dispersion across
the Mediterranean and Africa, and changes in car-
“On an idealized view, bon absorption in the Sahel. What these visualisa-
high-quality scientific knowledge tions reveal, however, is more than kaleidoscopic
should and will automatically gradients of colour; they expose the dynamic and dif-
ferentiated form of climate impact, the dramatic reor-
command policy choices, limiting dis- ganisation of resource availability, biological viability,
putes by partisans to issues and human fortune – in short, they reveal a new kind
of implementation.” 13 of geopolitical map.
As Thomas Keenan suggests in regard to human-
There is a growing attempt to pose the question of itarian action and its tendency towards the mobilisa-
climate change at a scale that allows for a clearer pic- tion of shame, “No image speaks for itself, let alone...
ture of impacts on specific envi- to our capacity for reason”. If scientific images of cli-
13.  Edwards, P.N. 2010, ronments and the communities mate change are to be used as the basis of political
A Vast Machine: Computer
that make their livelihood from claims by groups currently marginalised from climate
Models, Climate Data, and
the Politics of Global
them. While climate modelling negotiations (like the G77 group of 120 developing
Warming, MIT Press, has long entered into the space nations), they will require translators, figures that
Cambridge, MA.
of politics, it has done so primar- can make the images speak – a qualification that
14.  A. Giannini,
M. Biasutti, I. Held,
ily in terms of policy disputes, and might rest with all those subject to climate politics
M. and Sobel A.H. global models of average temper- – or, today, in what amounts to the
(eds.) 2007, A Global
ature increase, since higher-reso- same thing, all those subject to 15.  Keenan, T.
Perspective on African 2002, “Publicity and
Climate, International
lution or fine-scaled models face the climate. 15 This essay is a first Indifference”, in
Research Institute for both physical and computational gesture towards this kind of trans- T.Y. Levin, U. Frohne,
Climate and Society,
challenges. 14 lation, constructing the kind of and P. Weibel (eds.),
Earth Institute at CTRL [SPACE], MIT
Columbia University,
Climate visualisations can series that might be necessary Press, Cambridge, MA,
New York, p. 3. now simulate the mixing of Sea to imagine a political sphere in pp. 544-61.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 212

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

which the animate and inanimate intermingle, and capacity. Within each degree of average increase,
though it began with an account of drought in the billions of dollars are congealed. In this regard, fos-
Sahel in truth it has no origin, only a relay of forces silised within every scientific model and dispute over
that might be entered into at any point. average temperature increase is a nonscientific eth-
The ITCZ describes an area of fertile climatic ico-political paradigm. Inside every degree Celsius, a
instability where northeast and southeast trade new calculus of life and death is disguised.
winds interact, forming powerful convection cur-
rents in the atmosphere. The ITCZ plays an impor-
tant role in regulating the intensity of the African The Growth of
monsoon, which depends on the powerful tempera-
ture and moisture gradients that form between the
Our Means Makes All Ends Equal
West African land mass and the Atlantic Ocean. The
sensitivity of this relation and the key role played “The civilian, too, is an invention
by SST has been the subject of a series of land- of recent date.” 16
mark papers published by Alesandra Giannini at The
Earth Institute at Columbia University. This research So too with the strange complications of the contem-
reverses decades of orthodoxy that argued that local porary Mediterranean, a space that no longer fits into
anthropogenic transformation (i.e., African agricul- neat spatial or temporal scales, or legal jurisdictions,
tural practice) was responsible for desertification. less still into clear bodies of knowledge. The possi-
The work concludes by proposing that persistent bility that the emission of aero- 16.  Gregory, D. 2006,
drought in the Sahel is not local in origin but rather sols in the Northern Hemisphere “The Death of the
the result of an increase in SST. changes sea-surface tempera- Civilian?”, Environment
and Planning D: Society
What is concealed behind the scientific exper- ture, weakening the African mon- and Space, vol. 24, pp.
tise on climate and the effort to agree on the appro- soon and drying the Sahel, is very 633–638.
priate level of global temperature increase within likely but still under conjecture. 17 17.  For an opposing
point of view on the
forums like the COP (Conference of Parties) is the That this drying exacerbates com- future of the Sahara that
direct dependence of first-world GDP on carbon petition over resources, affecting repeats earlier arguments

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 213

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape of the Eclipse, installation and projection, 2016. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 214
 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

about the impact of communities undermined by poor responsibility, and potentially, 19.  Further still,
local agricultural and
government and abandoned by justice. might not we dispense
land-use practices, see altogether with many of
Claussen, M. 2009, The
weak institutions, is not in doubt, If the expansion of the Sahara the scalar categories
Greening Desert, Max nor is the chaos of violence and follows aerosol dispersion in we use as short hands
Planck Institute for
displacement that has ensued Europe and America, the world to describe the world
Meteorology, Hamburg. such as the local, the
18.  Butler, J. 2012,
for more than three decades. As dies from the north twice over, urban, the regional or
“Can One Lead a Good Life Sub-Saharan refugees enter the once with particles migrating the global? Were they not
in a Bad Life?”, Adorno
Mediterranean en route to Europe, south through the atmosphere, a so tied to governmen-
Prize Lecture, Radical tal and legal structures
Philosophy, vol. 176,
they enter the most highly secu- second time with people fleeing with concrete effects the
p. 9–18. ritised waterway on Earth, mov- north towards the sea. Where is answer would surely be
ing from south to north across an the familiar Mediterranean in all of yes.
Equator that divides those who are grievable from this, and what does it matter?
those who are not. 18 The question that might be asked is what form
Because the mechanics of climate form a com- of knowledge is required in a condition marked by
plicated transport system, redistributing the effects scales that do not “properly” belong together? To
of pollution according to a trans-boundary, nonlin- start with, the idea of the city must be situated in a
ear logic, the space of violation is separated from far wider epistemic frame. Beyond totalising notions
the space of its repercussion. Those least respon- of the global or the planetary, what is important on
sible for carbon emission will be most susceptible to the contrary are the threads and traces that link dis-
drought and rising sea levels. Locard’s principle that parate events around a problem. The question of
“every contact leaves a trace” – the cornerstone of scale then is something that should be understood
modern forensics – still applies, but with one impos- as emerging from this network of linkages rather
sible catch: the contact and the trace drift apart, car- than something that pre-determines them. 19 In the
ried away on ocean currents and diffused into the Mediterranean cities of today, it is less easy to find
atmosphere. The Earth’s climate loosens the bond comfort in the charms of the vernacular, one finds
between cause and effect; it weakens the chain of instead the importation of Gulf development recipes
custody and breaks the link between attribution, to Algiers, the repeated evisceration of Lebanon’s

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 215

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

capital by petrodollars, a legacy of infrastructure

around the Southern Italian coast abandoned by
international labour markets. One also discovers
European energy start-ups experimenting with solar
plants in the Tunisian desert, heroin cartels manag-
ing international trade through ports in Marseille,
black market economies of migrants on the streets
of Athens salvaging steel that will be shipped around
the world, in short any number of questions that
might be dignified as “a project”, that might orient
our collective labour, attention and intellect. In each
case however, design will have to learn again how to
operate between the scale of the detail and the scale
of the Earth.

A longer version of this essay appeared in The Medi­

ter­ranean, New Geographies 5, edited by Antonio
Petrov and published by Harvard University Graduate
School of Design, Cambridge, Mass., 2013.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 216

 THE MEDITERRANEAN: A NEW IMAGINARY. CONFLATED SCALES—DEEP INCONSISTENCIES – ADRIAN LAHOUD

Adrian Lahoud, The Shape of the Eclipse, installation at the Sursock Museum, Beirut,
for the exhibition Let’s Talk about the Weather. Art and Ecology in a Times of Crisis,
2016. Photo by Nabû Productions. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – ADRIAN LAHOUD – 217
 OPINIONS — L’INTERNATIONALE BOOKS

IMPERCEPTIBLE
INSTITUTIONS
PANTXO RAMAS
 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Lesbos, along the route, January 2016, photo by pantxo ramas. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 219
 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Imperceptible Institutions material level of instituting (when and where pro-

cedures, protocols and habits are realised, negoti-
In the context of the collapse of the European welfare ated and reproduced) becomes especially visible in
state, (radical) institutional practices are becoming the moment of transition. In other words, when the
more and more unstable. They show to what extent instability of the institution gains prominence over its
institutions as practices of social organisation - durability, and the dramatic tension between regula-
mediated through the state, legislative regulation, tion and transformation drives our practices to the
“public” ethics and moralities, the accumulation of edge of collapse, it also gives us the possibility to
national debt and the development of welfare poli- perform an elsewhere to be inhabited here and now.
cies - have made possible what Brett Neilson and Stefano Harney and Fred Moten 3 use the powerful
Ned Rossiter called the “Fordist exception”. expression “before and before”.
The formation of social life through institutions
intervened not only on the level of the organisation In these blog posts, I will address instituting practices
of production or ideology but also on the level of the on the edge between state and society, and in a con-
everyday intertwining of subjectivities, inventions, stant attempt to challenge, displace, rearrange those
interventions. Today, the prophecy of institutional instituted assemblages that have organised social
catastrophe allows us to challenge this (supposed) life so far. In Trieste, this is the everyday challenge of
molar autonomy of the state, when it calls for (insti- the community healthcare prac-
tutional) critique to be a transversal and multiple tices of de-institutionalisation, 2.  Susan Leigh Star,
“The Ethnography of
practice for the construction of strategies of survival, in the Centres for Mental Health Infrastructure”,
as well as possibilities of recovery, to put it with Jo and the Microarea projects where American Behavioral
Brewis 1, for social life as a whole. space, responsibility, invention Scientist, volume 43,
1999.
1.  Jo Brewis and Mustafa
Rearranging and translating intertwine to produce a differ- 3.  Stefano Harney
Özbilgin, “Recovery and Susan Leigh Star’s reflection on ent understanding of health and and Fred Moten, The
Organization”, a spe-
the visibility of infrastructures 2 care in the wave of Basaglia’s Undercommons: Fugitive
cial issue of Culture and Planning and Black Study,
Organization, volume 19,
only in the event of their fail- predicament. In Barcelona, the Brooklyn, NY: Minor
number 5, 2013. ure, we could say today that the crisis of the traditional forms Compositions, 2013.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 220

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Trieste, Pavillon of the former Asylum,

September 1977, photo by Emilio Tremolada.

Barcelona, on the balcony of the City Hall,

February 2016, photo by Barcelona Ciutat Refugi.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 221

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

of representative politics is opening the space to

experiment with the municipal level of institutional-
ity. Policies of care, of welcoming and participation
allow for new ways of inhabiting the city to be tested.
Throughout Europe, the routes of escape and con-
nection embodied by migrants and refugees have not
only shown the dramatic incapability of the European
Union to sustain the dignity and the life of millions of
people, they have also been the space to compose
another understanding of our life in common.
There is hope, desire and possibility of trans-
formative inhabitation of institutions. I will try to use
these practices to craft a repertoire and an empiri-
cal definition of institutions as ecologies. These are
forms of life in which the possibility of a transition
is made real through an unstable and speculative
composition of agents, boundaries and gateways. In
the words of Félix Guattari, instituting is a practice
that can craft imaginative potentialities into unsta-
ble realities and dare “to confront the vertiginous
Cosmos so as to make it inhabitable”.

Posted 16 May 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 222

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Moira camp, 2016, photo by pantxo ramas. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 223
 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Along the Route for privacy. Myriads of gestures, of 1.  Marc Comas, Bue
Hansen, Manuela Zechner
objects, of points of view, beside and I wrote a report
Looking at the sea from the beach of Mytilene, one the border, along the route. for the City Council of

can either see a border or a route, a limit or a thresh- Suddenly, in this space of Barcelona. Discussions
have arisen from this
old, a fortress to be controlled or a space of encoun- encounter, a border emerged: data compilation and
ter. It could be said that trespassing a border is demands were made for a proto- reflection. In January,

constructing a route, where the route itself is much col to be applied, for a queue to be Bue and I researched
and discussed a pos-
more than just transgressing the regime of borders. formed, for a bus to be filled; differ- sible municipal policy
Instituting the route is not only escaping the impo- ent statuses were represented by on migration and refugees

sition of a border but also a practice that realises a the logos on the jackets of the vol- with several actors in
Greece, namely in Athens
different form of living together, a continuous expe- unteers or on the disposable water- and Lesbos. Many ques-
rience as Dimitris Papadopoulos, Niamh Stephenson proof caps of the refugees, through tions and experiences

and Vassilis Tsianos put it. And nonetheless, this the imposing tones of those enti- defined those days, but
there is one I recall
practice is permanently under seizure, hijacked and tled with the responsibility of law in particular. In the
constrained by the instituted terms, by the regime of enforcement, and the enquiries Moira camp, fences and

borders, by attempts at regulation, by the reduction of of those carrying cameras, micro- barbed wire surround the
barracks reserved for
hegemonic narratives: “border as method”, to quote phones, and notebooks. After the the weakest among the
Sandro Mezzadra and Brett Neilson’s research. bus: the identification camp, the passers-by. When asked,

Late January at dawn on the sand of Lesbos, registration, the fingerprints, pass- those in charge of order
explained that the fences
some disembarked looking for their kin and their ports. Queues by nationality, by pre-existed the new camp,
belongings; others were there to greet those disem- gender, by age. Frontex, the Greek since they were built

barking, paradoxically welcoming them both on the Police, UNHCR, mingled with NGOs when the same site was
a detention centre for
island and to the continent; some stared at the line of from different countries, with dif- illegal migrants. But
the sea looking for more boats to come, for somebody ferent aims, different goals, differ- it is not possible to

to arrive or just to acknowledge what had happened; ent ethical and economical values 1. dismantle them, however
desirable that would be
others looked for dry vests and socks, for trousers Losing the route, when these for the people living in
and drinkable water; some undressed, others asked borders emerge, would make us the camp everyday or for

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 224

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

those passing by, because

powerless. Indeed, there are forms to take: Where to go next? What is the border with
they were financed by
transnational institu-
to be filled in at the Lesbos hotspot, Macedonia like? Is it really so cold in Denmark?
tional aid: destroying queues at Piraeus harbour, proto- Beyond any idealist conception of a political
the fences would imply
cols in the asylum offices in each space “outside of the border”, these practices radi-
having to pay for their
destruction as well as
European capital city. And yet, in cally engage with the “effect of the State” on peo-
the debt left by their all these instances of the border, ple’s lives, as indicated by Timothy Mitchell, and
construction, for “disre-
a series of transgressions defy its produce counter-powers, moments for a life in com-
specting” European Union
budget protocols, which
logic and enact a concrete possi- mon, as Bue Hansen, Manuela Zechner and I pro-
is something the Greek bility for instituting, in and against posed some months ago. They happen everyday
State is not keen to do
the frustration of violence, through along the route, they institute the route.
in a moment of economic
turmoil.
the frightening experience of pre- Along the route, these instituting practices
carity, where encounters can hap- encounter another series of gestures and experi-
pen or be organised. ments that attempt to defy the logic of border,
The graffiti stating “Welcome Refugees, NGOs fuck challenging their own institutional limits. Some
off”, written on the walls inside the Moira camp, is municipalities are proposing different policies: insti-
one visible layer of an imperceptible palimpsest: tuting a network of refugee cities, as promoted by
signs and practices that challenge the border and the Mayor of Barcelona with regards and against the
institute the route. The Social Kitchen in Moria and relocation policies of the European Union, and enact-
the autonomous camp of Pikpa in Lesbos, as well as ing another welcoming through personal accompa-
many initiatives scattered in Greek cities, not only niment practices in Leipzig. This is also occurring in
provide a collective cooking practice but also, very universities: through the design of mechanisms of
importantly, a different menu than the emergency open-access to knowledge at KASK School, or the
provision of ready-food by UNHCR. It quickly became activist challenge against the protocols of control
a site capable of monitoring a series of abusive insti- and European governance at Roma3 Legal Clinic. It is
tutional practices, limiting them somehow, threaten- happening in many other smaller institutions who are
ing denouncement or enacting it; it was a place to constituting moments of encounter, like the social
access and exchange information about the route lunches of the local healthcare system of Trieste.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 225

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

It is through these fragile practices that the route

becomes a plural reality: a composition of points of
view that affirms mutual engagement against the
regime of borders.

Posted 16 June 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 226

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Gathering and
Instituting:
An Encounter for
Urban Citizenship and
Migration Rights
in Barcelona
Last summer, Manuela Zechner and Bue Hansen were
among many people in Central and Northern Europe to
support people migrating through the borders of the
Union. On 13 July 2016 in Barcelona, they are organis-
ing a gathering, titled Redefining the right to the city
through migration? Solidarity cities and urban citizen-
ship, to which they have invited Solidarity4All Greece,
Vienna4All, Zürich4All, as well as many others to be
confirmed soon. In the last few months, with them,
Marc Comas and in collaboration with the City Council
of Barcelona, we have been discussing and imagining
how to develop local policies for welcoming, beyond
the institutional limitations of European governance.
Within this series reflecting on impercepti-
ble institutional practices, I wanted to record their
Street workers gathering in front of Barcelona City Council.
thoughts on the practice of gathering as instituent
Photo by Bue Hansen. dynamic, as proposed by Isabell Lorey.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 227

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

pantxo ramas conviviality in ways that are embodied, real, lived. So

Recently you published an article on openDemocracy we think it might be possible to develop more mean-
affirming the role of cities in reimagining a geogra- ingful politics from there. In the deadlock between
phy of rights on this continent. What you mean by the local and global, our cities are quite powerful spaces.
power of the city? What potential can local policies
deploy to affect the lives of those who are arriving? Bue Hansen
It is important to note that the focus on cities is not
Manuela Zechner about localism. Cities need to be understood as
We have the feeling – very present in the Spain of spaces where people and money pass through or set-
“municipalismos”, but also beyond – that we can tle, as spaces that are simultaneously local and trans-
learn something very important from cities about national. They are the densest sites where millions
possible resolutions to the impasse of nationalism of people have activities ranging from simple char-
and neoliberal transnationalism in Europe today. ity to solidarity. In Germany, an estimated 10% of the
What can be learned, we think, is something about population – 11 million – helped refugees in various
how communities, everyday life and social compo- ways in 2015, and, in Greece, the estimate is a stun-
sition really work: beyond the rules, statuses and ning 5 million or 50% of the population. And when it
abstract identities of States and the European Union. comes to the basic questions of the rights of citizens
Our cities are rich, heterogeneous spaces; spaces and the right to citizenship... constitutions, laws and
where difference and conflict is dealt with in a international treatises only speak about these rights
myriad of ways every day, from more organised dis- in an abstract way. They speak in a strange language
putes and campaigns to the smallest negotiations removed from the everyday, and the institutional
of space, visibility or conviviality in the streets and route to changing them often seems overwhelming.
neighbourhoods. The city has the power to give us a But really these elevated texts are legal responses
break from the numbing abstractions and blockages to the struggles of people as well as to the changing
of macro politics and to reorient our gaze to what realities of everyday life, for better or worse. When we
is around us. In doing so, we get the chance to face turn to the cities, it is about relating to this decisive
questions of resources, commoning, migration and terrain, to explore our capacities to act and create.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 228

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

pantxo ramas lived “we” to develop lasting ways of building and

What does it mean to organise a translocal gather- inhabiting solidarity. We will gather to hear how
ing at the moment? The route is becoming more and people think about that in different situations and
more dangerous. The political governance of migra- places.
tion forces people towards dreadful routes like the
one through the strait of Sicily and Lampedusa. Bue Hansen
Of course, the brutality of the Mediterranean bor-
Manuela Zechner der can’t be separated from what goes on within
Of course, the meeting we are organising will not European societies. For the people who have
resolve the great horrors and injustices that are entered Europe, the border is everywhere: in asy-
happening in the Mediterranean. This will be a mod- lum procedures, in asylum camps, in the police
est space to exchange thoughts and experiences, ID-checks in train stations, etc. European societies
starting from different local platforms and cam- and cities – and not just the “elites” – are calling
paigns, from concrete experiences on “the ground” for borders. As Dimitris Christopoulos said recently,
of our cities. How can we learn from one another? there is no “refugee crisis” in Europe, but rather a
How can we think the city as a space to make new reception crisis, an unwillingness to receive refu-
convivialities, struggles and rights? As a space for gees due to fear. That is due both to the scare-mon-
a different kind of political subjectivation, more gering of political elites, the neoliberal imposition
“molecular” and close to the body and ground, less of scarcity, and the insecurity that many are experi-
identitarian and abstract. We have questions and encing in the crisis. The solidarity movements and
intuitions, rather than truths or programmes. We struggles for the right to the city can help under-
feel the need to gather because, while the border mine the narratives, anxiety and racism that sustain
and transit work is absolutely vital, we also need to the imaginary of a “refugee crisis”, which is used
develop strong political and social forms of prac- to such great effect to legitimise the current border
tice in our cities, where we spend our daily lives. regime. So our event is about sharing some ideas
We have the feeling that we need to start from the and experiences of practices that challenge the
cities and pueblos in order to build another kind of “reception crisis”.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 229

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

pantxo ramas overcomes State-based questions of status (nation-

What are your intentions during this gathering? Who ality, work permits, residence permits, etc) as well as
are the agents you are bringing together and how do some transnational forms of status (refugees ver-
you intend to work during this meeting in Barcelona? sus migrants, for example) in favour of including all
What is the function of being together in a space like who live in a place. “Everybody who lives here is from
this? here”: there are some institutional mechanisms that
interest us here, like the municipal ID cards issued by
Manuela Zechner some “sanctuary cities” in the United States. One part
We have invited friends who are involved in infra- of the event will ask what it might mean to demand
structures and platforms of solidarity and “welcom- new rights in the city, and to redefine the right to the
ing”. The Solidarity4All network has been doing vital city in view of migration.
work in Greece, providing for locals and migrants
without resources and developing a very interesting Bue Hansen
way of positing solidarity versus charity in their col- The municipal ID is interesting because it is a way
lective practice. There will be new campaigns and municipalities can give undocumented migrants
platforms from Vienna and Zurich, who ironically also access to municipal services, and provide them with
work with the “4All” suffix. Zürich4All and Vienna4All a means of identification – to the police for instance
are a new generation of projects for solidarity cities in – that does not reveal their migration status. So it is
German-speaking countries especially. It is no coin- a practical affirmation of the slogan of the French
cidence that “for all” is a key in all these initiatives of Sans-Papiers movement, that Manuela mentioned:
course, because their main question is precisely how “everybody who lives here is from here”. And then
to articulate the energies and solidarities that the there is another affirmation, which could be “every-
waves of “welcoming refugees” created in Europe one who produces and reproduces a place, has a
last autumn. Real political pressure and leverage was claim on it”. A focus on “papers” is quite radical, but
built with some of the “migrants’ movements” that it can also be dis-empowering, because it entails a
always existed in our cities. We want to think about clash between the State and people who have no
and fight for a city that is “for all” in the sense that it formal democratic claim on the State. But if we turn

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 230

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

our attention to the labour, care and conviviality, we fragile and delicate moment in Europe right now and
notice both the real, if precarious, power migrants the kinds of conversations and concepts we need to
have as producers and reproducers, and the con- develop must go beyond polemical critique or glori-
viviality through which “helping” can be transformed fied masterplans. But we do hope to work on some
into solidarity between friends and neighbours of concepts together, to see how we can speak together
different legal statuses. That is not to say that the about this situation and its horizons.
questions of papers becomes irrelevant, not at all
of course, but to point to ways in which the struggle pantxo ramas
for papers becomes strengthened, embedded and And what does it mean to gather in Barcelona today?
amplified within other struggles too. what is the distinctive potential of this place in
Europe today? But also how do you imagine this
Manuela Zechner meeting influencing what people and institutions are
Another part of the event will speak about division doing here in Barcelona?
between migrants and refugees as well as locals
and “foreigners”, during which we will hear different Manuela Zechner
examples of how these divisions play out and look Barcelona is a very interesting place with respect
at different strategies for how they have been over- to thinking the city and thinking solidarity right now.
come. We will draw on the examples from our guests The municipal “revolutions” are throwing up some
as well as local participants, since Barcelona has a profound and difficult questions regarding the rela-
rich social fabric of struggles and solidarity. The idea tion between institutions and social movements, and
is to avoid the debate being overdetermined by the there is much vibrancy in how this is being addressed.
institutional dimension (sometimes in Barcelona There has been a lot of talk and action around wel-
everything ends up revolving around the new city coming here, with neighbourhoods, movements,
hall policies of Barcelona en Comú) and to find a way organisations and also the town hall pressuring the
of creating a space for listening to different experi- State to accept refugees. The question is alive and
ences. Listening in the sense of learning, not just there are debates, collections, trips and campaigns
reconfirming some hypothesis: we all feel we are in a happening all the time. Some of the debate is stuck

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 231

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

addressing the State, getting very focused on “wel- working on solidarity and the right to the city in differ-
coming”, and some on the ‘Ciutat Refugi’ campaign ent places.
of the town hall. There have been tensions between
local migrants’ struggles and the “welcoming” wave, Posted 03 July 2016

and not so many spaces to address these respec-

tive situations in relation to one another beyond a
merely angry or polemical tone. So our idea is to open
a space for thinking this “for all” in Barcelona also,
without any implicit message or aim, but as an open
space of listening to other experiences. Sometimes
hearing other people’s stories can help think through
our own, so part of the idea of the event is this.

Bue Hansen
The singularity of Barcelona lies in the inventive-
ness and power of the social movements and in the
electoral platform they helped sweep into city gov-
ernment. So in terms of thinking solidarity and new
institutional forms, Barcelona is very interesting,
and the city council has boldly attacked the ideas
that underline the “reception crisis”. But due to the
recalcitrance of the Spanish State, Barcelona has
so far received very few refugees, and the question
of the manteros, the migrant ambulant street sell-
ers, remains unresolved. So Barcelona has much to
learn and much to offer. The aim of our encounter is to
facilitate the sharing of experiences between people

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 232

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Enter Outside, Laboratorio P, 1997. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 233

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

A Catalogue for Care From the beginning, the prerogative of the

Basaglian practice was to destitute the prescriptive
For this series of blog reflections on the subject of approach of technicians of healthcare – as paternal-
institutional invention, I would like to move from istic and organic intellectuals. This was a critique of
“imperceptible institutions” towards the definition the welfare state that reinvented the practice of care
of institutions as ecologies within which myriads of around the user. In the last decades, that has been
perceptions intersect and agents act. In this sense translated from mental healthcare to healthcare in
(and specifically in relation to healthcare which is general, moving the provision of services from the
my current research focus), the question is whether hospital to the city, in the urban space, forcing the
it is possible to imagine a dynamic, distributed and medical practice (and significantly healthcare pro-
democratic practice of care and emancipation in the fessionals) to settle in the lives of users. The aim was
contemporary reinvention of welfare. What is at stake to intertwine the practice of health and care with the
is the need for a new imagination of social rights lives of the citizens and generally of the city. Make
through the crisis, or, the possibility of a different care, take care 2.
practice of care in everyday life. Today, in 15 small deprived areas of Trieste, the
For this to become real, it is essential to encounter Micro Area programme has set up activities of inte-
concrete practices and alternative imaginations that grated care that link community healthcare practices
are providing a gateway of healing, out of the contem- with social services and civil society networks. In this
porary crisis. Here, I focus on Trieste, where the rein- programme, the production of provision happens on
vention of care started almost half a century ago, with the threshold, as a device that destitutes and insti-
Franco Basaglia in the 1970s. 1 There, radical politics of tutes the practice of care. A worker told me that “lim-
welfare have become hegemonic in the mental health its do not exist, the service is there, the space is there
services, transforming the real lives of thousands of to be inhabited”. The limits of the state are contested
people. The struggle is still very in a concrete way, through the 2.  Rotelli, F. (2013).
1.  Basaglia, F. (2005).
vivid today: how can we invent production of thresholds of inva- Servizi che intrec-
L’utopia della realtà, ciano storie: La cittá
Volume 296. Giulio
institutional critique as a quotidian sion. Instead of individualising sociale. In Fare Salute.
Einaudi. practice of emancipation? the citizen in relation to the state, ENAIP ASS.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 234

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

they constitute a collective ethos based on respon-

sibility, reciprocity, inclusiveness. In these politics of
care, the practice intervenes in the open ecology of
the city, enters outside and participates in inventing
the urban fabric.
This invention cannot be formalised, reduced
to the norm, however it cannot just be dismissed as
a sort of dreaming intuitive practice. The possibility
of constituting a common ground of transparency
and richness for the institutional practice, a practice
of critique that reinforces and affirms these experi-
mental devices, lies in the production of a catalogue
of care. This would be a collection of practices that
intervenes and develops in a living world; a repertoire
of inventions and instruments that can be problema-
tised and improved. This would allow discussions in
an operative way about how to activate resources
and services. The catalogue would therefore func-
tion as shared knowledge production in-between the
user, the public workers, the social ties of a specific
neighbourhood, the local networks and the urban
flows. A catalogue to democratise the design and
implementation of local policies in the city.

Posted 20 July 2016

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 235

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Image, from the cover of E tu slegalo subito, sulla contenzione in psichiatria

by Giovanna Del Giudice, Alphabeta Edizioni, 2015. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 236
 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Taking Care, Making Care and autonomy, the outcast body 3.  In Franco Basaglia’s
of the “loony bin” 3 in the 1970s The Destruction of
the Mental Hospital
Beyond the politics of welfare, I want to propose or HIV social movements, such as a Place of
ecology of care as a way of naming a continuous as those organised around ACT Institutionalisation,
practice of support, listening, attention, feelings, UP in the 1980s, constituted a the use of the term
“loony bin” is both
tangled up with a multiplicity of encounters. There space of experimentation for a literal and political:
is a long subterranean history of partial and par- new paradigm of conflict and literal, because the
tisan assemblage of places, perceptions, experi- political organisation in a biopo- institution objecti-
fies the sufferance of
ences of these ecologies, in the anti-colonial and litical world. New modes of taking the person in distress
anti-racist movements, in feminists movements and care include making new assem- using the asylum as a bin
other instances of minor insurgencies and molecular blages live, by composing new where unproductive lives
can be thrown. Secondly,
revolutions 1. ecologies in the present continu- because the positional-
In the field of healthcare, a different prac- ous of the crisis 4. ity of the lunatic as

tice of care can be recognised in the challenge A few months ago, I came ungovernable otherness
is claimed as a politi-
against objectifying practices and the institution- across such a situation in Trieste cal voice: a voice from
alisation of the self that the hospital apparatus at the bar Posto delle Fragole, the the end of the world, to
constructed around the patient: actors, objects, first social cooperative opened by use François Tosquelles’
expression. See Peter Pál
places and chemicals among other agents 2. It was mental health users in the early Pelbart. For more infor-
not by chance that, in the 1970s 1970s after the Basaglian revolu- mation, see also Salvini,
1.  See Guattari,
F. 1984, Molecular
and 80s, the social movements tion of 1971. Salvatore Iaconesi, F. 2016, “Instituting on
the threshold”, eipcp.
Revolution: Psychiatry around healthcare configured the Orianna Persico and Giovanna Del 4.  “Making care” refers
and Politics, Penguin,
emergence of a first biopolitical Giudice were discussing care as a to both the institutional
New York.
2.  See Rotelli, F. 2013,
critique of, and protest against, collective practice of reciprocity assembling and hackers
“maker culture”.
Servizi che intrecciano neoliberalism. In moments of and social reproduction, present-
storie. La città sociale,
danger, when the practice of care ing their own experiences (and books) both as cri-
ENAIP, Trieste; Basaglia,
F. 2005, L’Utopia della
became the practice of violence tiques of, and inventions for, a different conception
Realtà, Einaudi, Turin. and denial of people’s dignity of care.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 237

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Each of them came from a singular position. A Giudice found herself in a mental 5.  See Giannichedda,
few years ago, Iaconesi open-sourced his brain to healthcare institution where peo- M.G. 2005,
“Introduzione”, in F.
deal both culturally and medically with his cancer. ple were still dying of psychiatry. Basaglia, L’Utopia della
With Persico, they started to deal with this experi- Contention, annihilation, objecti- Realtà, Einaudi, Turin.
ence, beyond individualisation and privatisation, as vation are still hegemonic psychi-
a project of care and performance: they started a atric practices, in many parts of Italy where they are
blog and organised workshops to share their cri- officially forbidden, let alone in countries where the
tique and perception of the care, allowing the gen- legal architecture of mental healthcare recognises
eral intellect and the “general care” to invade the these practices. Considering another practice of
private sphere of illness. Their effort was that of care needs to deal with a generalisation of care as a
translating the culture of hackers and makers into democratic and emancipatory practice. As Giovanna
the field of care, constituting the ground for a flow Del Giudice states in her book: “If it is possible [to
of affects and passions (in the most literal sense care without containment], containment must be
of the word) and allowing for fragility and care as forbidden”.
a social practice of emancipation that defies the The tension between a different possibility of
disciplinarian institutionalisation which tends to care and a permanent struggle against institutional-
be built around the dramatic experience of a brain isation poses questions. As proposed by Annemarie
cancer. Mol, the practice of care deals with a multiple body,
Giovanna Del Giudice, from another context, with an ontology of multiplicity that is held together
was recounting the complexities of transforming in the complexity of life, inscribed in the social and
the protocols and practices of care in her manage- reciprocal practices of care. In the words of Maria
rial experience of the Sardinian mental healthcare Grazia Giannichedda, the question is how we can
system in the 2000s. Still today, how can we move produce a social organisation of care, capable of
beyond a passive and violent conception of fragil- supporting each of us in the constitutively difficult
ity and sufferance in mental healthcare institutions? freedom of urban life 5.
In Cagliari, thirty years after than Trieste constituted
Posted 04 Oct 2016
an emancipatory practice of mental healthcare, Del

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 238

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

pantxo ramas, Trieste. Institutions as Ecologies, 2016, photo. L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 239
 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

Institutions as Ecologies of danger, in the trespassing of borders. Thirdly, care

emerged as crucial site for imagining an institutional
Is it possible to imagine “welfare” as a dynamic and critique capable of breaking the regime of protection
distributed practice of care and emancipation? Can and prescription and affirming a welfare state based
we socially unlearn both the neoliberal individual- on practices of emancipation and mutuality. Finally, I
istic and the social democratic prescriptive modes also focused on the plural and multiple production of
of welfare provision? Can we start to inhabit a diffi- care: making care.
cult, but possible, urban ecology of care? Transition To deal with the institution as an ecology means
is a practice of change and regulation: the question not analysing the institution as a closed system of
is how to imagine, beyond the crisis and towards an equivalences and equilibriums anymore, but rather
elsewhere, a continuous displacement from the real, as a series of dynamics that constitute themselves
an otherness of space built through one’s own living. in the open urban space. To use a powerful expres-
This requires political imagination that is immersed in sion written on the walls of the former asylum of
the real and that escapes determinism. Trieste 1, the institutional practice “enters outside” in
To conclude this series of posts for the city. By entering outside, the 1.  I refer here to the
L’Internationale Online, I try to define some vectors of institutional space is immediately Urban Political Ecology
proposed by Heynen, N.,
consistency in the practice of transition and the eco- immersed in the city as a perma- Kaika, M., Swyngedouw E.
logical approach, to envisage how this imagination of nent environmental, mental and 2006, “Urban political
social change as ecology allows something that the social production of reality 2. The ecology”, in: The nature
of cities: Urban politi-
institutional analysis and critique do not permit. institution is not only in the city, cal ecology and the poli-
This can be done on the basis of the elements but is a multiple body in the ecol- tics of urban metabolism,
gathered in my previous contributions: my starting ogy of the city 3. Routledge, pp. 1-20.
2.  Guattari, F. 2005,
point was imperceptible institutions to disarticulate Looking at the institution as The Three Ecologies,
a static configuration of institutional analysis and to an ecology in the city also means Bloomsbury Publishing.
put practices, instituent practices, under scrutiny. shifting attention from the ratio- 3.  Mol, A. 2002, The
Body Multiple: Ontology
Secondly, the route constituted the ground to recog- nale to the effect of the state, and in Medical Practice, Duke
nise how instituent practices emerge in the moment from the definition of the norm University Press.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 240

 IMPERCEPTIBLE INSTITUTIONS – PANTXO RAMAS

4.  As referred to (how to act) to an effectual logic Through the permanent critique and invention of
in a previous post
in which norms and protocols welfare, care does not emerge as a rational definition
Mitchell, T. 2006,
“Society, economy, and
are embedded within a series of of a prescriptive behaviour that evolves through his-
the state effect”, in: realities 4. The space of transi- tory and is accumulated in the institutional setting; it
The Anthropology of
tion is therefore the one in which is rather an ecology of matters, feelings and engage-
the State: A Reader, A.
Sharma (ed.), Wiley-
the institution is not configured ments that involve a contingent and situated tin-
Blackwell, pp. 169-186. through the prescriptive limits of kering of socio-technical teamwork: this teamwork
5.  Star, S.L., and
norms, but through a catalogue engages with troubles and invents singular arrange-
Griesemer, J.R. 1989,
“Institutional Ecology,
of practices that intervene and ments of care. In this common enterprise, agents,
Translations and Boundary develop in a living world. This cat- objects, memories and sensibilities configure heal-
Objects: Amateurs
alogue is immersed in the urban ing as a process that does not aim to make the body
and Professionals in
Berkeley’s Museum of
ecology, inhabited by a series of productive, but to nourish and enjoy a life that, with-
Vertebrate Zoology, 1907- agents and gatekeepers, regu- out exception, is finite.
39”, Social Studies of
lated through boundaries and
Science, vol. 19, no. 3,
pp. 387-420.
gateways, constantly reconfig- Posted 11 Nov 2016

ured to open passage points and

funnel tensions and memories, or craft new realities.
It implies permanent encounters and the engage-
ment of subjectivities and materialities: a set of pos-
sibilities that is at the same time a realisation of an
elsewhere. A common enterprise 5.
This possibility of an irreversible transition does
not lie in the invention of something new – the expand-
ing revolution – but in a practice capable of destroying
and inventing through the interdependence of cycles.
It is a practice of social change always related to dura-
bility and, at the same time, transformation.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – PANTXO RAMAS – 241

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

BIOGRAPHIES
 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Atıf Akın Đorđe Balmazović

Atıf Akın is an artist and designer living in New Đorđe Balmazović is the member of Škart collective,
York. His work examines science, nature, mobil- which was founded 1990 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
ity, and politics through an (a)historical and con- In the 90s, the collective was making little poetry
temporary lens. Through a series of activities made ‘samizdat’ books and distributing them in street
up of research, documentation and design, Akın’s actions. In 2000 Škart founded two collectives – a
work considers transdisciplinary issues, through a choir and orchestra named Horkeškart and a female
technoscientific lens. embroidery group. In 2008, the collective started
In 2009, he took part in the Younger Than Jesus Poetrying – a festival of experimental poetry which
art directory project of the New Museum, published lasted 5 years until 2013. From 2012, the collective
by Phaidon. That same year, Akın co-curated a semi- have led occasional workshops in the foster care
nal media art exhibition, Uncharted: User Frames in house “Vera Radivojević” in Bela Crkva. From 2013
Media Arts, and edited an accompanying book. Akın until now, Škart has set up several workshops with
was co-organiser of the zine project and exhibition, migrants based in asylum centres in Bogovadja and
Apricots from Damascus, on behalf of apexart, and Banja Koviljača. The collective members earn their
co-produced and hosted by SALT in Istanbul. With wage working as graphic designers.
the support of TBA 21 in Vienna, he embarked on
an expedition to Polynesia as part of his long term
research-driven art project on nuclear mobility and
archaeology which was partly shown in the 2016
Design Biennial in Istanbul.
Akın joined the Mason Gross School of the Arts
faculty at Rutgers University in 2011. He has a private
studio in New York, and works and exhibits actively in
the US, as well as Europe, and the Middle East.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 243

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Merve Bedir John Byrne

Merve Bedir studied architecture at Middle East John Byrne is currently a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art
Technical University (2003). She is the partner of at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and
Land+Civilization Compositions, and a PhD candi- Co-Director of Static. He is also LJMU’s coordina-
date at Delft University of Technology. Her recent tor for The Uses of Art project and is currently devel-
work focuses on urban transformation, migration and oping research for LJMU’s School of Art and Design
(forced) displacement. She was a freelance curator around the area of art, use and use value. Central to
for the Netherlands Architecture Institute (2013); this research is an ongoing evaluation of the kind of
curator of Vocabulary of Hospitality (Studio X Istanbul, work, or labour, that the work of art has become (or
2015), uncommon river (One Architecture Week, is becoming) in a globalised and networked soci-
2015), and Aformal Academy (Shenzhen Biennale, ety. Over the last two decades Byrne has published
2015). Merve Bedir was the producer of Agoraphobia widely on issues surrounding the relationships
(2013), a documentary film on urban transformation between art, popular culture and technology.
in Turkey. Her other works have been included in
the following exhibitions: Misericordia (Oudekerk/
Amsterdam, 2016), Bucharest Biennale (2016),
Istanbul Design Biennale (2016), Oslo Triennale
(2016), Future Architecture Platform (2016). Merve
has published in Volume, MONU, Funambulist, Zivot,
Quaderns, re-Site among others and her first book,
Vocabulary of Hospitality, will be published by Dpr
Barcelona (2017). Merve is part of Matbakh-Mutfak
(a transnational women collective in Gaziantep) and
MAD (Collective for Spatial Justice) in Turkey.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 244

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Denise Ferreira da Silva Adrian Lahoud

Denise Ferreira da Silva is the Director of The Social Adrian Lahoud is Dean of the School of Architecture
Justice Institute (GRSJ) at the University of British at the Royal College of Art. Prior to his current role
Columbia, Adjunct Professor at MADA, at the Monash at the RCA, he was director of the MA programme at
University in Melbourne, and Visiting Professor of the Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths
Law at Birkbeck-University in London. Her aca- and a research fellow in the Forensic Architecture
demic writing and artistic practice address the ethi- ERC-funded project; studio master in the Projective
cal questions of the global present and target the Cities MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design at the
metaphysical and onto-epistemological dimensions Architectural Association; and director of the MArch
of modern thought. Academic publications include Urban Design at the Bartlett, University College
Toward a Global Idea of Race (University of Minnesota London.
Press, 2007) and the edited volume Race, Empire, and Drawing on nation building projects in the post-
The Crisis of the Subprime (with Paula Chakravartty, colonial period, early cybernetic forms of government
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013). She has writ- and the mobilisation of climate research by the global
ten e-flux, for the publications of the 2016 Liverpool south, Lahoud’s PhD “The Problem of Scale: The City,
and São Paulo Biennials, as well as for documenta the Territory, the Planetary’ sets out a theory of scale
14 Reader. Her collaborative creative work includes drawn from architectural practice in the context of
plays, films, and events such as the Sensing Salon and emancipatory struggles. Recent exhibits include
the Poethical Readings (with Valentina Desideri). She “The Shape of the Eclipse” at “Let’s Talk about
was also an advisor to Natasha Ginwala, curator of the the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis”,
Contour 8 Biennale (Mechelen, 2017). Sursock Museum Beirut (curated by Nataša Petrešin-
Bachelez and Nora Razian), “Secular Cosmologies”
in “After Belonging, Triennial of Architecture Oslo”,
and “Floating Bodies” at “Forensis: The Architecture
of Public Truth”, Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin
(curated by Anselm Franke and Eyal Weizman).

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 245

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Recent publications include The Mediterranean: Ela Meh

A New Imaginary in New Geographies (Harvard
University Press), “Floating Bodies” in Forensis: The Ela Meh was born in 1988 in Ljubljana, where she lived
Architecture of Public Truth (Sternberg), “The Bodele until she was 16 when she moved away. She has lived
Declaration” in Grain, Vapour, Ray: Textures of the a semi-nomadic life ever since. She graduated in phi-
Anthropocene (MIT Press), Nomos and Cosmos in losophy in 2009, after which she did not open a non-
Supercommunity (e-flux), “Fallen Cities” in The Arab fiction book for over two years, spent much of her
City: Architecture and Representation (Columbia time gardening and wandering around. In 2012, she
University Press), “Scale as a Problem, Architecture spent a year in Serbia as a volunteer for Migreurop,
as a Trap” in Climates: Architecture and the Planetary researching the consequences of the EU migration
Imaginary (Avery Review Lars Muller) and “A Mandala policy on the lives of migrants. In 2013, she started
to a Model” in Elements for a World: Stone, Water, studying anthropology at the University of Ljubljana
Wood, Fire, Sky (Sursock Museum, in collaboration and in 2014-15 spent another year as an exchange
with Ashkan Sepahvand). student in Serbia, researching the health situation of
Adrian has been a part of the Haus der Kulturen illegalised migrants there. Her work is grounded in a
der Welt’s Anthropocene curriculum, an experimental belief that (nation) states and their borders are ille-
pedagogical project bringing together scientists, art- gitimate and she is committed to freedom of move-
ists, architects, activists and scholars across a wide ment and settlement for all.
variety of fields to explore the practical and philo-
sophical implications of climate change and wide-
spread environmental transformation.
He is currently working on a project exploring
the intersection of architecture, anthropology and
semiotics.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 246

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Wayne Modest Margareta von Oswald

Wayne Modest, PhD is the Head of the Research Margareta von Oswald is a PhD candidate at the
Center for Material Culture (the research institute Centre for Anthropological Research on Museums
for the Tropenmuseum, Museum Volkenkunde and and Heritage (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and
the Africa Museum), Professor of Material Culture at the Centre Maurice Halbwachs (École des Hautes
and Critical Heritage Studies in the Humanities Études en Sciences Sociales / École Normale
Faculty of the Vrij Universiteit Amsterdam. He was Supérieure), Paris. As part of the research proj-
previously Head of the Curatorial Department at ects “Making Differences in Berlin: Transforming
the Tropenmuseum, Keeper of Anthropology at the Museums and Heritage in the 21st Century” and
Horniman Museums and Gardens in London and “Museums and Controversial Collections. Politics
Director of the Museums of History and Ethnography, and Policies of Heritage-Making in Post-colonial and
Jamaica. Modest’s most recent publications include Post-socialist Contexts”, she works on the contem-
Museums and Communities: Curators, Collections, porary challenges and potentials of museum col-
Collaborations (Bloomsbury Academic Publishers, lections acquired on the African continent, mainly
edited with Viv Golding, 2013); the exhibition cata- during colonial times. Her main case studies are the
logue The Sixties: A Worldwide Happening (published Ethnological Museum Berlin and the Royal Museum
by Lecturis, 2015, edited with Mirjam Shatanawi). He for Central Africa, Tervuren. In 2016-2017, she is
was also one of the guest editors for a recent special co-organising the seminar series “Rewriting the
issue of the academic journal Patterns of Prejudice Colonial Past: Contemporary Challenges of Museum
(2016. vol. 50, no. 2) together with Anouk de Koning Collections” at the EHESS, Paris. In 2015, she co-
entitled: “Anxious Politics and the European City”. curated the exhibition Object Biographies at the
Humboldt Lab Dahlem, Berlin.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 247

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

November Paynter Carlos Prieto del Campo

November Paynter was Associate Director of Activist in European social movements, Carlos
Research and Programs at SALT, Istanbul and Ankara, Prieto del Campo has a PhD in Philosophy from the
until December 2016 and organised Oliver Ressler’s Complutense University of Madrid, and is an expert
exhibition Who Throws Whom Overboard? at SALT in accounting and public sector auditing, having
Galata. She is composing the final L’Internationale worked as a civil servant for the Spanish Ministry of
exhibition programme at SALT in 2017 and contin- Economy and Finance between 1989 and 2010. He is
ues to sit on the editorial board of L’Internationale also an independent editor and activist in the field of
Online. She has organised numerous solo presenta- culture, and has been editor of the Spanish version of
tions of artists including Charles Atlas, Hassan Khan, New Left Review since 2000, director of the publish-
Elio Montanari and Akram Zaatari, as well as group ing projects Cuestiones de antagonismo (1999–2012)
exhibitions for SALT and institutions and biennials and Prácticas constituyentes since 2013. He has
including Grazer Kunstverein, Tate Modern in London, held different management posts in Spain’s public
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Artists Space in New sector and was Dean of the Quito Institute of Higher
York and the Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane. Recent National Studies (2013–2014) and an adviser to the
editorial work includes VOTI Union of the Imaginary Ecuadorian government. He is Director of the Study
published by Buchhandlung Walther König and Quis Centre at Museo Reina Sofía and is a member of the
Erudiet Without Documenta published by Mousse, editorial board of L’Internationale Online.
Grazer Kunstverein and SALT. November Paynter is
Director of Programs at the Museum of Contemporary
Art Toronto Canada.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 248

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Oliver Ressler pantxo ramas

Oliver Ressler lives and works in Vienna. His prac- pantxo ramas is an activist and researcher.
tice explores issues such as economics, democ- He is based in Barcelona, where he collaborates with
racy, global warming, forms of resistance and social Barcelona en Comú and with Radio Nikosia. In Italy
alternatives. He has shown extensively internation- he also participates in Conferenza Permanente per
ally with a major exhibition at SALT Galata in Istanbul la Salute Mentale nel Mondo in Trieste, and with the
in 2016/17 and a retrospective of his films at Centre blog [Link]. pantxo ramas’s research and
d’Art Contemporain in Geneva in 2013. He is the co- activism deal with the issue of precarity and public
curator of an exhibition cycle on the financial crisis, policies in the fields of culture, migrations, health,
It’s the Political Economy, Stupid, and co-curator of and urban rights.
Utopian Pulse – Flares in the Darkroom at Secession,
Vienna, 2014. Ressler is the first prize winner of
the newly established Prix Thun for Art and Ethics
Award, 2016.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 249

 SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE

Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung Dilek Winchester

Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, PhD, is an inde- Dilek Winchester studied at Central Saint Martin’s
pendent art curator and biotechnologist. He is College of Art and Design in London and is currently
founder and artistic director of SAVVY Contemporary based in Istanbul. Translation, literature, language,
Berlin, editor-in-chief of SAVVY Journal for critical drama, oral history, and emotional expressions are
texts on contemporary African art, and co-artistic among the subject matters that she deals with in her
director of Galerie Wedding, Berlin. He is Curator work. Her recent research project has been about the
at Large for documenta 14. Recent curatorial proj- alphabet reform in Turkey and the literary canon with
ects include Unlearning the Given: Exercises in a particular emphasis on Karamanlidika and Armeno-
Demodernity and Decoloniality, SAVVY Contemporary, Turkish books from the 19th Century.
2016; The Incantation of the Disquieting Muse, SAVVY Recent exhibitions include Aichi Triennale
Contemporary, 2016; An Age of our Own Making in (2016), Century of Centuries, Salt Beyoglu, Istanbul
Holbæk, MCA Roskilde and Kunsthal Charlottenborg (2015), Anyone Could Be a Sculptor One Day, Spot
Copenhagen, 2016-17, The Conundrum of Imagination, Production Fund, Istanbul (2014), HomeWorks 6,
Leopold Museum Vienna/ Wienerfestwochen. His Beirut (2013), Here Together Now, Matadero Madrid
lectures have taken place at Tyler School of Art (2013), Selling Snails in the Muslim Neighbourhood,
Philadelphia; Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle; Aalto Westfalischer Kunstverein, Munster (2013) and A Solo
University Helsinki; Art Basel; Villa Arson Nice; exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary
Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel; MASS Alexandria; Art in Athens (2012).
HfbK Hamburg; Gwangju Biennale; among others.

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 250

Subjects and Objects in Exile

eBook publication

PUBLISHED BY MANAGING EDITOR

L’Internationale Online Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez
[Link] COPY EDITOR OF THE ENGLISH
TEXTS IN THE RESEARCH SECTION
PUBLICATION DATE Caroline Hancock
2017
CMS WEBSITE ASSISTANT
ISBN Fabiola Fiocco
With the support of the Culture
978-94-9156-406-2
Programme of European Union
CONTACT
EDITORIAL BOARD [Link]@
Nick Aikens, Başak Çaka, [Link]
Diana Franssen, Nav Haq,
Sònia López, November Paynter ART DIRECTION
Attribution - NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA.
Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Project Projects
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build
Carlos Prieto del Campo,
upon your work non-commercially, as long as they
Steven ten Thije, GRAPHIC DESIGN
credit you and license their new creations under the
Adela Železnik Antoine Bertaudière
identical terms.

EDITORS FOR WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

“MAPPING COLLECTIONS” Systemantics
Christiane Berndes
GENERAL COORDINATOR This project has been funded with support from the European
DATA ANALYSIS FOR KASK / School of Arts of Commission. This publication reflects the views only of
“MAPPING COLLECTIONS” University College Ghent the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
Štefan Jan Lebar for any use which may be made of the information contained
PROJECT SUPPORT therein.
GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR SALT The contents of this journal are published according to
“MAPPING COLLECTIONS” the terms of the Creative Commons License unless otherwise
SJG (Joost Grootens, PROJECT LEADER mentioned.
Julie da Silva, Silke Koeck) L’Internationale

L’INTERNATIONALE ONLINE – SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS IN EXILE – 251