The panel addresses the work and practices of women designers living in the diaspora. It discusses the process of design outside its immediate cultural context, and the relationship to the motherland/culture at a distance. It will unpack the state of in-between-ness, a liminal space where identity is continually reassessed and the creative expression is a negotiation between past and present, origin and new cultural belonging. The panel investigates how has this state of in-between-ness affected the design practices, how it has blurred the boundaries, and how it has contributed to new processes of engaging with audiences. It looks into the new networks that develop in the diasporic context, revealing new collective practices. The panel studies the transformation of the individual designer/collective, the impact of her artistic journey, and the way she has reinvented her identity and professional practice.
The exhibition is co-curated by: Anja Lutz (A—Z Presents) & Dr. Huda AbiFarès (Khatt Foundation). The related exhibition runs until 19 May 2022 at A—Z Presents, Torstrasse 93, Berlin Exhibition is open Thursdays from 13:00— 19:00, or by appointment.
Guest contributing researchers include: Dr. Azadeh Fatehrad, Hala Al-Ani, Sahar Khraibani, Fatma Mansour, Sara Abu Ghazal, Noha Abou-Khatwa, Yara Khoury Nammour, Basma W. Hamdy, Lina Ghaibeh, Deena Mohamed, Sara Rizkallah, Dr. Roshanak Keyghobadi, Ghalia Elsrakbi, Dina Benbrahim and Maya Moumne. In addition to contributions made by numerous designers featured in the research.
A comprehensive publication will follow, edited by Dr. Huda AbiFarès, and published by Khatt Books in 2023.
