Memory & the Systematic Mending of Heritage | Dima Srouji

About this episode

Dima Srouji discusses the displacement of Palestinian material culture and her efforts to restore it through art and collaboration.

Palestinian architect and artist Dima Srouji explores the systematic displacement of Palestinian material culture and the liberation lab working to bring it home. For over a century, archaeology in Palestine has been weaponized, used as a tool for land grabs and the erasure of contemporary identity. From ancient glass vessels held in Western museums to human remains stored in university basements, the physical history of Palestine has been excavated, categorized, and displaced. Dima discusses her work in restitching these archives through art and collaboration. By working with multi-generational artisans like the Twam family, who still possess the ancient know-how of glassblowing, she creates ghost objects that challenge the colonial narrative of a dead past.

People in this episode

Guest: Dima Srouji

Topics covered

• Palestinian culture
• heritage
• archaeology
• art
• colonial narrative

Keywords

• Palestinian heritage
• material culture
• archaeology
• glassblowing
• colonialism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Twam family

Places: Palestine

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