Gestural archives: transmission and embodiment as translation in occupied Palestine

Saleh, F. (2023) Gestural archives: transmission and embodiment as translation in occupied Palestine. In: Ganguly, A. and Gotman, K. (eds.) Performance and Translation in a Global Age. Series: Theatre and performance theory. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; New York, pp. 201-226. ISBN 9781009296816 (doi: 10.1017/9781009296786.012)

Abstract

In my practice-based research The Archive of Gestures, I revive an array of gestures and movements present in alternative Palestinian narratives, which were suppressed by Israel and left out of mainstream Palestinian history, by re-enacting, deconstructing and commenting on the gestures and context they were performed in, using interactive video dance installation and participatory performance as artistic and archival forms. In this chapter I analyse four artistic works that resulted from this research: A Fidayee Son in Moscow (2014), Cells of Illegal Education (2016), Gesturing Refugees (2018), What My Body Can/t Remember (2019). In all the works interactivity and participation with the audience play a central role. Here, I explain how moving-thinking together, through re-enacting, transforming and transmitting latent gestural archives, helps embody and translate the stories and their gestures to the audience members’ bodies. This allows the audience to identify with the context of these stories, creating empathy and contributing towards future responsibility.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Additional Information: eISBN: 9781009296786
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Saleh, Dr Farah
• Authors: Saleh, F.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISBN: 9781009296816
• Published Online: 10 August 2023

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