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 are more like “silent witnesses” in relation to this “other”, and to the reality that defines the context of their production and reception.1 By listening to various voices and stories around and about images, Yasmine Eid-Sabbagh’s A Photographic Conversation from Burj al-Shamali Camp (2001–present) — a multi-layered project developed over the time span of more than 10 years — is trying to get photographs ‘to speak’ about this 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 curated exhibitions with a group of adolescents to Eid-Sabbagh’s most recent performances and lectures that include a sporadic display of videos and historical photographs2 — this project is primarily a tribute to the individual, in that it is the individual’s actions and convictions that contribute to the formation of a meaningful community. At the same time, it examines socio-political circumstances and dynamics while cherishing intimacy and personal recollections.