Achitecture in exile. Three artistic perspectives on Palestinian refugee camps

Abstract

This article introduces three artistic projects focused on various spatial, temporal, and habitational dimensions of Palestinian refugee camps. Conceived by Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti in collaboration with the residents of Dheisheh camp in Bethlehem, The Concrete Tent embodies a materialization of the enduring temporality that permeates the camps. Following her involvement in the reconstruction of the dismantled Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon, Saba Innab explores in How to Build Without a Land constructive responses to inhabiting practices born out of displacement. Lastly, in the Future Cities series Wafa Hourani critically examines the present and, through three models, envisions possible futures for the Qalandia refugee camp in the West Bank. All three projects both highlight and condemn the enduring temporality that characterizes Palestinian refugee camps today, offering insights into the history, present and potential future of these spaces. In addition, the works also affirm the material value of the camp and the active role of its inhabitants in shaping territorial practices and belongings that challenge more normative ones, while deploying alternative imaginaries, narratives, and meanings of time and place.