Cultivating Moments of Possibility in Occupied Palestine
Palestine, a land divided by geopolitical conflict, has seen countless proposed solutions to its decades-old issue. It may seem as though there is nothing left to say. Attempting to find resolution through architecture alone risks a reductive approach that overlooks the lived realities of Palestinians. I seek to explore spatial possibilities that provoke a deeper, more nuanced form of architectural resistance, reimagining the land through a new lens. By stripping the land of the dominance of borders, I aim to uncover hidden spaces born out of necessity.
This exploration delves into these speculative possibilities using maps, collages, and narrative diagrams to reveal the latent power of Palestinian resistance. These methods illuminate how spaces of oppression can be transformed into spaces of freedom and hope. Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s concept of counterspace, I draw on the idea of grassroots opposition to abstract space and its hegemonic representations. To Lefebvre, counterspaces embody “counter-plans and counter-projects designed to thwart strategies, plans, and programs imposed from above.”
A speculative counterspace, “Air,” is introduced in the context of Palestine-Israel, one of the busiest corridors for bird migration in the world. Here, airspace becomes a realm of new possibilities—a shared domain where both Palestinians and birds can transcend borders. Birds, as symbols of freedom in Palestine, challenge the solidity of borders, boundaries, and checkpoints. By aligning with these natural agents of liberty, I seek to disrupt the entrenched power structures of territorial division. By imagining airspace as a site of collective possibility, I aspire to shake the rigidity of borders and offer new hope for a freer, more connected future.
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war many Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed, abandoned and depopulateed. Fazal Sheikh documented these areas in attempt to record the memories of the displaced survivors and their families. In a project where site plans and maps cannot be used as a tool to understand the complexities, these photographs are the best way to assess the situation ‘on the ground’. Four of Sheikh’s photographs have been taken to propose moments of spatial possibilities.
The Palestine which is / The Palestine which could have been