What can I tell you?
in the absence of language
Activity:
In occupied Palestine, a woman reaches under the apartheid wall, trying to hold the hand of her mother on the other side. The forced separation of families is an old colonial story — commonplace, for some. Can you think of other narratives deemed commonplace? Discuss with your friends.
Thinking about:
the dialect of the classroom prompt
the iterations of shared images, especially depictions of violence. the role of the smartphone screenshot; the erosive quality of duplication
what it would be like to be walled off from your mother, or your child
Captions read:
How are you mother?
Are you well?
As you can see, my mother is old and if anything happens to her
I won’t be able to see her,
maybe I won’t be able to say goodbye and kiss her,
to ask for her forgiveness and blessings.
What can I tell you? It’s hard.
images + sequence from @feb.20.1995 on IG