A Prison, a Prisoner, and a Prison Guard : An Exploration of Carcerality in the Middle East and North Africa
| When | January 13 - March 30 |
|---|---|
| Where | Hatcher North Lobby Cases Hatcher Library North, First Floor View floor plan |
| Event type | Exhibit |
Join us for a multimedia exploration of the impact of prisons on countries and communities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through the lens of “prison art.” The exhibit delves into the dynamic interplay between incarceration and creative expression to make sense of carceral systems.
By presenting prison art from various countries in the MENA region, including Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, this exhibit unfolds as a “journey” into the prison system and demonstrates the ways in which art can be a tool of expression and reconciliation for survivors, detainees’ families, and society at large. It promotes drawing parallels between the prison experience in the region and worldwide, highlights the intentionality of carceral systems, and expands the conversation to include prison-impacted communities. Viewers are invited to navigate the cross-generational, human experiences of imprisonment often obscured behind prison walls and within individuals.
Curated by Sumaya Tabbah and Susan Aboeid of The Ḥafathah Collective, this traveling exhibit was organized by U-M Students Organize for Syria (SOS) in partnership with U-M Library and with support from the U-M Arts Initiative.
Plan to attend the related discussion, Art, Justice, and Carcerality: The Role of Creative Expression in the Pursuit of Justice, on February 6.
"Chess in the Prison Cell," courtesy of the artist, Yassin Mohamad.
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Library events are free and open to the public, and we are committed to making them accessible to attendees. If you anticipate needing accommodations to participate, please notify the listed contact with as much notice as possible.