Samtal: Repair, Return and Reconstruction

Beyond physical restoration, repair holds the power to heal communities scarred by centuries of colonial violence, unaddressed trauma, and historical injustice. In Palestine, repair becomes a vital act of diagnosis—confronting both the material destruction of life, land and infrastructure by occupation and the deep intergenerational wounds carried by its people. But what can truly be repaired? Can new forms of reconstruction emerge that mend not just buildings, but also the environment, memory, and collective resilience?

Participants:

Khaldun Bshara, Assistant Professor at Birzeit University, Palestine

Dana Abbasm, Unit Director at Riwaq Center for Architectural Conservation, Palestine

Emilio Distretti, Research Tutor at the Royal College of Art, London

Moderator for the talk is Didem Yildirim, who leads the ongoing project Bringing Objects to Life — and Challenging the Museums Colonial Histories at the National Museums of World Culture

In collaboration with Swedish institute of international affairs, The Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul and The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.