In/distinction On Yasmine Eid-Sabbagh’s A Photographic Conversation from Burj al-Shamali Camp

As the “abbreviation that telescopes history into a moment” Cadava, 1992, p. 101),photography “is always related to something other than itself” (Cadava, 1992, p. 100).But rather than being material evidences that speak for themselves, photographs aremore like “silent witnesses” in relation to this “other”, and to the reality that definesthe context of their production and reception. By listening to various voices andstories around and about images, Yasmine Eid-Sabbagh’s A Photographic Conversationfrom Burj al-Shamali Camp (2001–present) — a multi-layered project developed overthe time span of more than 10 years — is trying to get photographs ‘to speak’ aboutthis reality, in this case that of Burj al-Shamali, a Palestinian refugee camp in theSouth of Lebanon. Combining archival, historical, and anthropological practices,as well as a variety of artistic forms of expression — from publications and curatedexhibitions with a group of adolescents to Eid-Sabbagh’s most recent performancesand lectures that include a sporadic display of videos and historical photographs this project is primarily a tribute to the individual, in that it is the individual’s actionsand convictions that contribute to the formation of a meaningful community. At thesame time, it examines socio-political circumstances and dynamics while cherishingintimacy and personal recollections.