Binary Opposites: What do you know about Palestine?

A new generation of well-educated Palestinian artists have dominated the scenery since the late 1990s, and have translated their exposure to Western ideologies to multi-layered complex concepts and ideas. These newly born intellectualism transcended the fragmented spatial geography of Palestine, where emphasis was placed upon individual experimentalism rather than national collectivism. Hence, the Palestinian identity was seeking the local aspect within the global context. This paper attempts to draw analysis across three layers: the physical layer, i.e. geographical fragmentation of Palestine, the social layer, i.e. duality of cultures that has caused conflict among Palestinian artists, and political layer, i.e. that is represented in the intervention of power and dominance of Israel. Moreover, the research adopts the theoretical crossover between Foucault’s notion of law and violence and Scott’s theory of spatial struggle. Finally, the paper takes a closer look at the A.M. Qattan Foundation cultural hub which was a symbolic feature of the socio-spatial fragmentation of Palestine, as well as combining the local vernacular and contemporary architecture and spatial features within the building.

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ISBN
978-1-944214-31-9