The Phoenix of Gaza: From Freedom Dreams to Falasteen Futures – VR Exhibit + Symposium
Thu, 12/5—Fri, 12/6 · Chancellor Green Rotunda
The Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab; Department of African American Studies
Join us at the Phoenix of Gaza VR Exhibit + Symposium, connecting everyday acts of resistance with longer term world-building and freedom dreaming. RSVP for evening talks here.
Thursday December 5, 4:30 – 7:30pm
- Keynote by Noura Erakat followed by a roundtable with Naim Aburaddi, Heba Gowayed, Mahdi Sabbagh, Sireen Sawalha, moderated by Amber Rahman
Friday December 6, 4:30 – 7:30pm
- Keynote by Sohail Dahdal followed by a roundtable with Laleh Khalili, Maya Migdashi, Ahlam Muhtaseb, moderated by Ruha Benjamin
Symposium registrants will receive instructions for signing up to visit the VR exhibit, which includes hundreds of videos and images using a 360-degree camera which takes footage of daily activities in Gaza. The vast majority of the locations captured are historical places in the Gaza Strip before that were destroyed. This includes images and videos of historical monuments, cultural sites, public squares, universities, schools, cafes, streets, agricultural areas, parks, beaches, markets, and amusement places. This is in addition to capturing Palestinian culture through weddings, stitching workshops, dabke, palm harvesting, clay and pottery making, and other hand-made professions.
“It is exactly what I envision the future of Palestine to be, which is taking our tradition and our history and our past, but not going back to it or being stuck in it. It’s taking it and creating something absolutely new and visionary. It’s Palestinian futurism.” —Dr. Noura Erakat
Co-sponsored by Department of African American Studies, Center for Digital Humanities, Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab, Palestine Studies Colloquium, Program in Media & Modernity, Princeton Humanities Council, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, Students for Justice in Palestine, Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, and University Center for Human Values.
We endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations for attendees with special needs. If you require an accommodation or service to participate, please contact Ruha Benjamin at ruha@princeton.edu at least 7 business days prior to the event.
This event will be recorded but not livestreamed.
