Dissonant Archives: Contemporary Visual Culture and Contested Narratives in the Middle East (Ibraaz Series)

The 'archive' is often viewed as a collection of historical documents that records and orders information about people, places and events. This view nevertheless obscures a crucial point: the archive, whilst subject to the vagaries of time and history, can also determine the future. This point has gained urgency in modern-day North Africa and the Middle East where the archive has come to the fore as a site of social, historical, theoretical, and political contestation. Dissonant Archives is the first book to consider the ways in which contemporary artists from the Middle East and North Africa - including Emily Jacir, Walid Raad, Jananne Al Ani, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Mariam Ghani, Zineb Sedira, and Akram Zaatari - are utilizing and disrupting the function of the archive and, in so doing, highlighting a systemic, perhaps irrevocable, crisis in institutional and state-ordained archiving across the region. In exploring and producing archives, be they alternative, interrogative or fictional, these artists are not simply questioning the authenticity, authority or authorship of the archive; rather, they are unlocking its regenerative, radical potential. The result provides essential insights into the nexus between art and politics in the contemporary Middle East. Archives Are Often Viewed As Ordered Collections Of Historical Documents That Record Information About People, Places And Events. This View Nevertheless Obscures A Crucial Element In These Processes: The Archive, Whilst Subject To The Vagaries Of Time And History, Is Also Concerned With Determining The Future. This Feature Of The Archive Has Gained Considerable Urgency In Modern-day North Africa And The Middle East Where It Has Come To The Fore As A Site Of Social, Historical, Theoretical, And Political Contestation. Dissonant Archives Is The First Book To Consider The Ways In Which Contemporary Artists, In Exploring Archival Contexts And Structures, Foreground A Systemic And Perhaps Irrevocable Crisis In Institutional And State-ordained Archiving Across The Region. Contingency, Dissonance And Performativity : Critical Archives And Knowledge Production In Contemporary Art / Anthony Downey -- 'what We Left Unfinished' : The Artist And The Archive / Mariam Ghani -- Measures Of Stillness And Movement : The Poster In Cinema Of The Palestinian Revolution / Nick Denes -- Rethinking National Archives In Colonial Countries And Zones Of Conflict : The Israeli-palestinian Conflict And Israel's National Photography Archives As A Case Study / Rona Sela -- Coming To Terms : Contemporary Art, Civil Society And Knowledge Politics In The 'middle East' / Tom Holert -- This Is Tomorrow : On Emily Jacir's Art Of Assembling Radically Generative Archives / Guy Mannes-abbott -- Artists' Inserts / Lucien Samaha / Ruanne Abou-rahme And Basel Abbas / Héla Ammar / Lawrence Abu Hamdan / Burak Arikan / John Akomfrah / Maryam Jafri -- Archive / Ariella Azoulay -- The Museum Past The Surpassing Disaster : Walid Raad's Projective Futures / Chad Elias -- I Have The Picture : The Making Of Photographic Heritage In The Contemporary Egypt / Lucie Ryzova -- The Global In The Local : Implicating Iran In Art And History / Sussan Babaie -- Arab Digital Expression Foundation / Laura Cugusi -- Artists' Inserts / Media Farzin And Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck / Adelita Husni-bey / Gulf Labor / Ania Dabrowska / Naeem Mohaiemen / Meric̦ Algün Ringborg / Amina Menia / Jananne Al-ani / Vahap Avșar -- 10 Theses On The Archive / Pad.ma -- From Archives To Analytics : Building Counter Collections Of Arabic Social Media / Laila Shereen Sakr (vj Um Amel) -- Excerpts From A Grammar Of Redaction / Joshua Craze -- The Black Market Archive : The Velocity, Intensity And Spread Of Pakistani Film Piracy / Timothy P.a. Cooper -- Locating The Archive : The Search For 'nurafkan' / Miriam Motamedi Fraser -- The Spectre (of Knowledge) : The Recordings Of The Cosmopolitan / Shaheen Merali. Anthony Downey. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "The 'archive' is often viewed as a collection of historical documents that records and orders information about people, places and events. This view nevertheless obscures a crucial point: the archive, whilst subject to the vagaries of time and history, can also determine the future. This point has gained urgency in modern-day North Africa and the Middle East where the archive has come to the fore as a site of social, historical, theoretical, and political contestation. Dissonant Archives is the first book to consider the ways in which contemporary artists from the Middle East and North Africa - including Emily Jacir, Walid Raad, Jananne Al Ani, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Mariam Ghani, Zineb Sedira, and Akram Zaatari - are utilizing and disrupting the function of the archive and, in so doing, highlighting a systemic, perhaps irrevocable, crisis in institutional and state-ordained archiving across the region. In exploring and producing archives, be they alternative, interrogative or fictional, these artists are not simply questioning the authenticity, authority or authorship of the archive; rather, they are unlocking its regenerative, radical potential.The result provides essential insights into the nexus between art and politics in the contemporary Middle East--Bloomsbury Publishing." Archives are often viewed as ordered collections of historical documents that record information about people, places and events. This view nevertheless obscures a crucial the archive, whilst subject to the vagaries of time and history, is also concerned with determining the future. This point has gained urgency in modern-day North Africa and the Middle East where the archive has come to the fore as a site of social, historical, theoretical, and political contestation.Dissonant Archives is the first book to consider the ways in which contemporary artists from North Africa and the Middle Eastincluding Emily Jacir, Walid Raad, Jananne Al Ani, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Mariam Ghani, Zineb Sedira, and Akram Zaatariare utilizing and disrupting the function of the archive and, in so doing, are also highlighting a systemic and perhaps irrevocable crisis in institutional and state-ordained archiving across the region. Archives are often viewed as ordered collections of historical documents that record information about people, places and events. This view nevertheless obscures a crucial element in these processes: the archive, whilst subject to the vagaries of0time and history, is also concerned with determining the future. This feature of the archive has gained considerable urgency in modern-day North Africa and the Middle East where it has come to the fore as a site of social, historical, theoretical, and political contestation. Dissonant Archives is the first book to consider the ways in which contemporary artists, in exploring archival contexts and structures, foreground a systemic and perhaps irrevocable crisis in institutional and state-ordained archiving across the region