Rana Anani, "Forensic Architecture’s First Exhibition in Palestine: Problematic Language and Non-Daring Positions (2019)", contributed by Tim Schütz, Center for Ethnography, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 2 February 2020, accessed 7 May 2024. http://centerforethnography.org/content/forensic-architecture’s-first-exhibition-palestine-problematic-language-and-non-daring
Critical Commentary
The author comments on the Forensic Architecture exhibition "Violence, Fast and Slow" at the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah. Her main critique is the agency's reliance on human rights language:
"Talking about “civilians,” for example, rather than Palestinians, Forensic Architecture emphasizes the “peaceful” or “helpless” nature of those “civilians” instead of asserting the agency of Palestinians. Furthermore, they label murders committed by Israeli snipers as “deaths,” using a colorless language which made their position ambiguous and inexplicit, rather than highlighting facts and taking bold positions from what is happening on the ground." (Anani 2019, n.p.)