Fibers of Resistance: Weaving Conversations between Palestine and Jordan
23 - 25 August, 2024
During her residency at Dar Jacir in Bethlehem, Palestine, Samira explored Palestinian textiles as symbols of oppression and resistance. She learned traditional weaving techniques from weavers in Samou3, a village in the southern West Bank, discovering how crafting under oppression can be a form of resistance.
Following the intensified attacks on Gaza and Palestine since October, Samira paused her research and left Palestine. In spring 2024, she resumed her residency at MMAG Foundation in Amman, Jordan. There, she learned to set up the ground loom, used by weavers in both Jordan and Palestine, aiming to connect the two regions through shared craft. This artistic residency was supported by Pro Helvetia.
Samira wove two pieces from Palestinian and Jordanian wool, which she stitched together to form a projection screen. The accompanying video, edited by Sarah Saleh, narrates the weaving process and its significance, depicting women at the loom and activists protecting Palestinian shepherds from settler attacks.
The exhibition will include woven pieces and a publication designed by Siwar Kraytem, compiling Samira’s experience during the artistic residencies in Bethlehem and Amman. The exhibition will be accompanied by a screening of Stitching Palestine (2017) and the space will be open for t-shirt printing on the 24th - 25th August, come by!!
