Space of Refuge: Opening Night

On 10th March, the P21 Gallery hosted the Opening Night of Samar Maqusi‘s remarkable spatial installation, Space of Refuge. Samar is a PhD student at the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL), whose research in Lebanon and Jordan investigates the spatial production and evolution of Palestinian refugee camps since the 1940s.

Part of the spatial installation built by Samar Maquisi, ‘superimposing’ part of Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in the gallery space. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Samar Maqusi uses multiple media and materials to draw the visitors to the complex spatialities and materialities of Burj al-Barajneh camp. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Wires, videos and spaces intersect in the spatial installation by Samar Maqusi. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

A projection of one of Samar Maqusi’s first videos in Burj al-Barajneh camp, viewed through the spatial intervention. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

The installation implements a series of spatial interventions and superimpositions to examine how diverse policies in different host countries affect the architecture of the Palestinian refugee camps, turning them into intensive forms of socio-political co-existence.

Viewing the spatial installation. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Visitors engage with the multiple levels and spaces of the installation. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Visitors watching one of Samar Maqusi’s videos (through/as) part of the spatial installation. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Through a variety of multimedia fora – including video projections and soundscapes – and by physically ‘reconstructing’ part of the alleyways of Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in the P21 Gallery (to scale), visitors are challenged to navigate the evolution of scale and space in such protracted spaces of ‘refuge’.

Navigating the spatial installation is challenging on conceptual, aesthetic, political, and physical, levels alike. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

A projection of Burj al-Barajneh camp over the ‘wires’ hanging over the narrow alleyway ‘reconstructed’ in the gallery. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

The spatial installation works through a series of ‘superimpositions’ of space and scale through multimedia interventions. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Multimedia and multisensory elements bring the camps’ spatialities to the fore in the installation. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

The historical development of Baqa’a camp in Jordan and Burj al-Barajneh camp in Lebanon – including processes of extending thresholds and growing vertically to accommodate the camps’ increasing population within the same total land area – is illustrated through spatial mapping and photographs, and through videos and audio recordings of the residents of Burj al-Barajneh camp.

The history of the evolution of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon and Jordan – including the expansion of thresholds and spatial violations are ‘spatially mapped’ and illustrated with photographs in the spatial installation, Space of Refuge. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Visitors arriving at the Opening Night of Space of Refuge. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

A series of videos were shown and projected throughout the gallery to re/situate the camps for visitors. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

In addition to congratulating Samar for the Opening of her Installation, Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh thanked the funders of the event (the UCL Grand Challenges and UCL’s Institute of Advanced Studies) on behalf of the convenors of the Installation and related Symposium (Prof. Murray Fraser of UCL-Bartlett School of Architecture, Dr Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh of UCL-Geography, UCL’s Refuge in a Moving World & RefugeeHosts; and Samar Maqusi herself).

Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh offering words of welcome and thanks (c) A. Greatrick

Samar Maqusi introducing her spatial installation (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

Samar Maqusi then explained the concepts underpinning the installation, outlining the creative means through which the inhabitants of these and other camps have made the camps their ‘own’ in spite of having no right to ‘own’ the land upon which their houses are built. Samar also introduced the actor, Ahmed Tobasi, a Palestinian refugee from Jenin camp who recounted the destruction and reconstruction of his home-camp, and his decision to help establish Jenin’s Freedom Theatre, illustrating another form of creative intervention in contexts of conflict and displacement.

Ahmed Tobasi discussing the challenges, and creative opportunities, of living in and leaving refugee camps, with Samar Maqusi. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh)

Visitors to the Opening Night of Samar Maqusi’s spatial installation, Space of Refuge. (c) E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh

The installation remains open (and free of charge) to all visitors until Wednesday 15th March 2017, when a one-day Symposium on the topic of ‘Space Refuge’ will take place from 10am – 5pm. The Symposium will gather scholars from UCL and beyond working on refugee studies, to situate the issue of Palestinian refugees as a precursor of urgent matters of ‘refuge’ on a wider scale around the world.

(c) Samar Maqusi

(c) Samar Maqusi

Installation opening times

Exhibition dates: 10 – 15 March 2017

Opening times: Saturday 12–4pm, Tuesday – Friday 12–6pm, and Wednesday until 8pm

Free Admission and All Welcome

The Installation and Symposium are kindly supported by UCL’s Grand Challenges, the UCL-Institute of Advanced Studies, and UCL’s Refuge in a Moving World.

(Words and photos by E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh unless otherwise stated; video by A. Greatrick)