Design For Change: Resisting Erasure

This evening is dedicated to preserving archives and stories that are in danger of being lost. Special attention will be given to the genocide in Gaza and the ongoing violence and oppression in the region. You are invited to listen, remember and, above all, take action.

The destruction of archives and heritage is an attack not only on objects, but also on people, cultures and history. This is why more and more communities are taking action to preserve their stories, photographs and knowledge – exactly the things that are destroyed or obscured by colonial violence.

This evening is free to attend, but please register in advance. We kindly ask you to make a donation to Fighting Erasure: Digitizing Gaza’s Genocide and the War on Lebanon to support their important work preserving archives in Palestine and Lebanon.

Fighting Erasure is a project by Lebanese feminist archivist and lecturer Jamila Ghaddar together with co-founders Dr Hanine Shehadeh and Dr Rami Zurayk. It documents and protects heritage, land and archives in Palestine and southern Lebanon. Focusing on human rights and education, the project documents violations, land theft and the disappearance of culture. Using new media, it reveals the impact of violence on people. The project supports local communities in preserving their heritage and calls on politicians and the public to preserve archives and advocate for the right of displaced people to return home.

Dr Ghaddar will be in conversation with Dr Abdul-Latif Abu Hashem, director of Eyes on Heritage, who will join via a livestream. They will share their experiences from Palestine and Lebanon and discuss the important ‘first aid’ needed to save heritage in the region.

Lara Khaldi (artistic director of de Appel) and Palestinian-Chilean artist Francisca Khamis Giacoman discuss the idea of land as an archive and home as a repository of memories. The discussion is accompanied by Francisca’s video essay 31°42'49.5"N 35°10'13.9"E, which revisits her family home in the Al Makhrour area near Bethlehem, which is now physically inaccessible.

The event will also feature objects donated to De Appel for burial in Palestine – objects connected to memory, land, identity and the hope of return. This collection exemplifies alternative ‘counter’ archives: formed outside of traditional museum logic, yet deeply connected to questions of preservation and political significance.

The event will be moderated by Jamil Fiorino-Habib.

Jamil Fiorino-HabibJamil Fiorino-Habib is a researcher and lecturer in the Media Studies department at the University of Amsterdam specializing in the politics of aesthetics, temporality, and resistance. In tandem with their academic research, Jamil also works with a variety of grassroots collectives in the Netherlands where they help mobilize and organize political work centered around radical system change.

Nimalka Passanha, project lead Cultural Emergency Response, will offer a reflection to the presentations.

KIOSK Rotterdam is a bookshop, (riso) print workshop, and a leaky press run by artist Philippa Driest. The selection hosts radical/critical theory, fiction, poetry and self-publishing practices. This evening, KIOSK will be present with a bookstand featuring books and posters about Palestine.

The Design for Change series explores how design, digital culture and architecture can address major global issues. Through this series, the Nieuwe Instituut offers a platform for designers, architects, digital artists and other cultural creators to share their knowledge and experiences. The resulting conversations explore diverse perspectives on challenging issues.

Combine this event with a visit to our exhibitions – admission to the museum is free on Thursday evenings. Fancy a bite to eat? Join us in the Nieuwe Café!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Nieuwe Instituut, 25 Museumpark, Rotterdam, Netherlands