Can’t Define Us
Exploring the similarities in our backgrounds we came to realize how the political influence of the west and the militarization in both our
countries impacted our identity and the way we see ourselves in society.
In both Libya and Venezuela, the involvement of western politics and local military forces in civilian spaces, in law enforcement, and in restrictions on civil liberties created a sense of surveillance and constraint, as well as political polarization and the promotion of nationalistic sentiments or civic engagement and activism, and eventually forced migration and displacement. We also both felt a significant influence of western value systems creating distortions in our native cultures. All these elements affect safety, mental health and the perception of self and society which contribute to the construction of a specific collective
consciousness and identity.
This complex and multifaceted conversation brought about a sense of need to engage in a deeper connection between the different communities that surround us, while imagining a new transcultural identity for us all.
countries impacted our identity and the way we see ourselves in society.
In both Libya and Venezuela, the involvement of western politics and local military forces in civilian spaces, in law enforcement, and in restrictions on civil liberties created a sense of surveillance and constraint, as well as political polarization and the promotion of nationalistic sentiments or civic engagement and activism, and eventually forced migration and displacement. We also both felt a significant influence of western value systems creating distortions in our native cultures. All these elements affect safety, mental health and the perception of self and society which contribute to the construction of a specific collective
consciousness and identity.
This complex and multifaceted conversation brought about a sense of need to engage in a deeper connection between the different communities that surround us, while imagining a new transcultural identity for us all.
We decided to design a light-weight scarf which alone stands for a symbol of relief for the heavy-weight background that we carry, as well as the incorporation of elements that represent migration (the sea as a means of transportation,weapons made of little military airplanes, the sky).
With this scarf as a symbol of our union we went on to photograph people within our local and international community with the aim to further unify and celebrate our differences rather than viewing them as a tool for further separation, which is specifically what we have been experiencing throughout our life as migrants.
With this scarf as a symbol of our union we went on to photograph people within our local and international community with the aim to further unify and celebrate our differences rather than viewing them as a tool for further separation, which is specifically what we have been experiencing throughout our life as migrants.