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Disarming Design from Palestine
تصاميم مجرّدة من فلسطين
  • Shop
    المحل
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    حكايات
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    Thought-provoking designs
    تصاميم لتحفيز الفكر
  • Qastina apron

    مريلة قسطينة
    €37,50
  • Poetic nights

    ليالٍ شعريّة
    €20,00
  • Measuring inequality

    قياس عدم المساواة
    €35,00
  • Awakening Goggles

    Awakening goggles

    قناع الصحوة
    €25,00
  • theblacksac

    الحقيبة السوداء
    €199,00
  • Cactus fruit candle

    شمعة الصبّار
    €8,50
  • Leaf Behind Earring

    Leaf behind earrings

    أقراط الأذن "أترُك خلفَك"
    €59,00
  • Leaf Behind Ring

    Leaf behind ring

    خاتم "أترُك خَلفك"
    €59,00
  • State of Palestine

    دولة فلسطين
    €10,00
  • Heirloom seeds

    بذور بلديّة
    €7,50
  • Nabulsi soap

    صابون نابلسي
    €6,00
  • Gaza earrings ‘Love for life’

    أقراط غزة "نُحِبُّ الحياة"
    €175,00
  • ‘I am an Arab’ t-shirt

    قميص "سجِّل أنا عربي"
    €17,00 – €19,00
  • Gaza Birdhouse

    Gaza birdhouse

    بيت العصفور الغزّاوي
    €12,50
  • Bird plate

    صحن الطّيور
    €30,00
  • Distance to Gaza

    المسافة إلى غزة
    €20,00
  • Coloured Keffiyeh

    Coloured keffiyeh

    الكوفية الملوّنة
    €25,00
  • Tears

    دموع
    €6,00
  • Watermelon flag

    علم البطّيخ
    €19,00 – €39,00
  • Christmas baubles from Bethlehem

    كرات عيد الميلاد من بيت لحم
    €7,00 – €9,00
  • Unveiled souls

    أرواح مكشوفة
    €19,00
  • Reworlding Ramallah

    Reworlding Ramallah

    إعادة قولبة العالم : رام الله
    €12,50
  • Subjective atlas of Palestine

    أطلس فلسطين الذاتي
    €24,50
  • Freedom shoes

    أحذية الحرّية
    €145,00
  • White on white keffiyeh

    أبيض على كوفيّة بيضاء
    €25,00
  • Hasakah

    الحسكة
    €40,00
  • ‘Everywhere’ fisherman’s box

    صندوق صيّاد السمك "من كلّ مكان"
    €50,00
  • Yellow cab toy

    لعبة السيرفيس الأصفر
    €35,00
  • Watchtowers and water tanks game

    لعبة أبراج المراقبة وخزّانات المياه
    €245,00
  • Checkpoint brush

    فرشاة الحاجز
    €25,00
  • Under construction

    صحن "قيد الإنشاء"
    €20,00
  • Stress ball

    كرة التّوتر
    €7,50
  • Proudly Made in Palestine

    صنع في فلسطين، بفخر
    €25,00
  • Keffiyeh bandage

    Keffiyeh bandage

    ضمّادة الكوفيّة
    €9,00
  • Everywhere Palestine

    فلسطين في كلّ مكان
    €60,00
  • Gaza scarf

    وشاح غزة
    €95,00
  • Disengaged observer outfit

    زيّ المراقب الدّولي
    €75,00
  • Barcelona or Madrid? No, Palestine!

    برشلونة او مدريد؟ لا، فلسطين!
    €0,50
  • Blanco

    القميص الأبيض
    €75,00
Stories
حكايات
Qastina is to root myself again
قسطينة يعيدني لجذوري من جديد Bethlehem-Brussels, 15 February 2023
  • Making
2022, a year to solidify
عام 2022 ، سنة يجب ترسيخها Palestine, Belgium and beyond, 2022
  • Sharing
From Checkpoint bag to Blacksac
من شنطة الحاجز إلى البلاك ساك Al Quds, 2015 – Al Khalil, 2022
  • Making
2021, a year in retrospect
٢٠٢١ سنة مفصليّة January 2022
  • Sharing
Call for solidarity
نداء للتضامن Until liberation
  • Sharing
Masters programme Disarming design
ماجستير معهد ساندبرج Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam, 2020 — 2022
  • Learning
Design for Disarming times
التصميم لأوقاتنا المجرِّدة Onomatopee publishers, 2020
  • Sharing
Life of the Palestinian rug
ورشة البساط الفلسطيني Birzeit, September - October 2020
  • Learning
Facemask from Gaza
قناع الوجه من غزة August 2020
  • Making
Hosh Jalsa
حوش جلسة Birzeit, 2018 – 2020
  • Learning
Marketing workshop
ورشة التسويق Birzeit, January – February 2020
  • Learning
Bags Prince Claus Awards
حقائب صندوق الأمير كلوز Amsterdam, 4 December 2019
  • Making
Crossing Boundaries lecture
محاضرة "اجتياز الحدود" VCUQatar, Doha, 19-22 November 2019
  • Learning
  • Sharing
Intimate terrains
إقتراب الآفاق Birzeit, 21–29 august 2019
  • Learning
  • Making
The real and the absent
جسور من الماضي Birzeit, June – September 2019
  • Learning
Young artisans market
سوق الحرفيّين الشّباب Birzeit, 2019
  • Sharing
Reworlding Ramallah
إعادة قولبة العالم : رام الله Birzeit, January – April 2019
  • Learning
Thought-provoking December gifts
هدايا محفّزة للفكر في فترة الأعياد Droog, Amsterdam, 6 December 2018 – 6 January 2019
  • Sharing
Collective thinking
تفكير جماعي Hosh Jalsa, Birzeit, November – December 2018
  • Learning
My house is your house
البيت بيتك Design Museum Ghent, 16 February – 15 April 2018
  • Sharing
Nieuwe Instituut
معرض نيوي انستتوت Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, november 2017
  • Sharing
Amman Design Week
أسبوع عمان للتصميم Darat al Funun, Amman, October 2017
  • Sharing
Dream versus reality
الحلم مقابل الواقع Amman, September 2017
  • Learning
  • Making
Dream Defenders
مجموعة "دريم ديفندرز" Ramallah, 17 August 2017
  • Learning
Design Museum Cologne
متحف التصميم، كولونيا Cologne, 14 May 2017
  • Sharing
Henry Van De Velde Awards
جائزة هنري فان دي فيلد Bozar, Brussels, January – February 2017
  • Sharing
Welcome home
الدار دارك Ramallah, 8 – 30 October 2016
  • Sharing
Hosh Qandah, create-shop 2016
حوش قندح، ورشة التصميم ٢٠١٥ Ramallah, August – September 2016
  • Learning
  • Making
Gaza & Jerusalem, create-shop 2015
ورشة التصميم من غزة للقدس Gaza & Jerusalem, 26 August – 8 September 2015
  • Learning
  • Making
Qalandiya international
قلنديا الدولي IAAP, Ramallah, 27 October – 15 November 2014
  • Sharing
Ramallah, Create-shop 2014
ورشة التصميم ٢٠١٤ Ramallah, Bethlehem, 21 October – 7 November 2014
  • Learning
  • Making
Eye on Palestine
العين على فلسطين KVS, Brussels, 24 March – 5 April 2014
  • Sharing
Conflict & design
التصميم و الصراع C-Mine, Genk, 15 December 2013 – 9 March 2014
  • Sharing
Bethlehem, create-shop 2013
ورشة التصميم ٢٠١٣ Bethlehem, 30 Sep – 12 Oct 2013
  • Learning
  • Making
Ramallah, create-shop 2012
ورشة التصميم ٢٠١٢ Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, 1 – 15 September 2012
  • Learning
  • Making
Subjective atlas of Palestine
أطلس فلسطين الذاتي Ramallah, 2007
  • Making
Stories
حكايات

Qastina is to root myself again
قسطينة يعيدني لجذوري من جديد

    Tags:
  • Making
The Qastina aprons of Ayed Arafah

A conversation with artist Ayed Arafah on the Qastina project
Bethlehem-Brussels, 15 February 2023
We had the pleasure of having a conversation with artist Ayed Arafah, the designer of the Qastina aprons and Poetic Nights pillowcases, talking about design, politics and exploring forms of cultural resistance.

Ayed Arafah is a visual artist: “Most of my experience is about creating through different artistic mediums, from painting to sculpture and design. My family is originally from the village of Qastina, and I like to keep its name alive through my design project.“ Arafah is based in Dheisheh refugee camp, north of Bethlehem city: “It is where I grew up, but I was born in Jerusalem in 1983. I studied social sciences and contemporary visual art at the International Academy of Arts in Ramallah.”

— DDFP: Could you tell us more about the Qastina aprons?

Compared to the other artistic channels in which I express my individuality and unconsciousness, the Qastina project is a way of expressing identity as a collective story. Each design comes out of a true story, of something that happened by chance. Like the Qastina aprons, inspired by the cooking instructions my mother used to give me on the phone when I was abroad. The designs are a symbol of connection with her and my original village, although I have never been there. To call this design project “Qastina” is to root myself again into my original land. This is why it is difficult for me to invent or think of other designs without the context of a story. 

Qastina is located in the Gaza strip. Israeli colonisers destroyed it and created a settlement around it. I have been told that the place still exists, but myself I cannot go there. My grandmother used to tell me stories about her life in the village. She shared her memories about farming and cooking together, exchanging food with their neighbours, collecting herbs from the mountain with other women, singing together and finding ways to cook what they had collected. In the Dheisheh camp, there were no mountains in front of us, but she still used to take my mother and me out for a walk in nature and explain what could be used for dinner or breakfast, what could be collected and saved for the winter, and so on. This is makes me excited about exploring more designs out of stories that represent Palestinian collective culture.

— How do you perceive the dissemination of the Qastina products, and its audiences it reaches beyond the art field? 

I am happy that the Qastina designs are distributed in different places. I found a way for approaching a diverse audience compared to my artwork which usually reaches galleries and art collectors. It is a way for showing who I am and reconnecting to the quest for identity of many other Palestinians.

The project brought new collaborations with different people, but also new challenges from understanding technical issues about the fabric to being in the market. I definitely got more experience in managing new and different things. Though, a big challenge is to keep working on continuous quality improvements and look for new designs to be connected with different stories.

— We started to work together when you participated in the workshop that we organised in 2014 with the academy in Ramallah. How do you look back at this experience? 

The workshop made me realise that it is possible to create artistic products to be distributed in alternative ways. I also started to think about how art and design can turn a product into a statement and, at the same time, into a useful object that can be found for example in a house or a restaurant. It marked a turning point in my artistic consciousness and helped me in the process of moving from artwork to design.

In my design project, there is a different relationship with the making and the materials, as they are produced by others and not by myself. Working in a team means putting together different elements and creating a final product in which all those elements have their specific value. I am a contributor, not the author of the final result. This design project is a collective narrative that brings together George (the tailor), my mother, the Qastina village and all those people whom I never met but who relate to the products. For instance, one day I received a long email in which a lady from Australia wrote that she was so happy and excited to see the name of her original village in such a beautiful project!

— You also give many artistic workshops, particularly for young people and children, what do you learn from them?

There is always something new to learn, they helped me a lot in developing my ideas and imagination. Through the years one’s imagination starts to take a shape but kids simply reshape it or make it shapeless again. Through their questions, they open up my mind and together we build something from the ground up, we recycle materials and eventually something incredible always comes out. Children have unlimited imagination and I consider my workshops as a way of exchanging not only imagination but also enthusiasm and good vibes. In the end, I am not teaching but interacting with them.

— What will the future of Qastina designs be like?

I hope this project will grow and involve a bigger team with new ideas and new designs. I would like to develop different types of items, start my own design brand and spread its name as much as possible. In this project, I am celebrating the name of the village I come from, and it is a way of resisting exile and displacement and reconnecting to my roots. Many people think I created a name that sounds like Italian or Spanish, to make it sound like a western project. But I am a refugee and this is the name of my village where I hope, one day, I will return, to live, farm, cook and exchange food between neighbours again. Most Palestinian refugees still have the keys to their houses in the villages. I want Qastina designs to be a successful business that reconnects to the beauty and richness of the Palestinian culture so that Qastina will not cease to exist.

This conversation took place on Wednesday 15 February via zoom with Ayed Arafah, Annelys Devet and Lucia Mansueto

 

Engage with the designs of Ayed Arafah

Qastina apron
Poetic nights

Also listen to this podcast by Storiesfrompalestine

Heirloom seeds
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Thought-provoking designs
تصاميم لتحفيذ الفكر

Heirloom seeds
بذور بلديّة

Seeds from the Palestine Heirloom seed library

Available seeds at Disarming Design from Palestine:
— Abu Samara (wheat)
— Bamyeh / Okra (ladies’ fingers)
— Molokhia (Jute Mallow)
— Sabanikh (spinach)
— Yakteen (gourd)
— Zinnia Sabella (flower, edible petals)
—
Bitinjan (Eggplant)
—
Kusa

On top of the political violence, Palestinian farmers also face the dangers of agribusiness with its corporate seed production and land dominance. But many of these farmers are the heroes who have been safeguarding the precious seeds, and the knowledge that these carry. Palestinian Heirloom seed varieties are under threat; many have gone extinct. These seeds have been passed down to us over the centuries, and carry in their genes the stories and the spirits of Palestinian indigenous ancestors. Aside from their cultural significance, these seeds carry options for our future survival as we face climate change and the erosion of agro-biodiversity worldwide. As such, it is urgent that we save heirloom seeds, and propagate them.

Founded by Vivien Sansour, the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library project seeks to preserve and promote heritage and threatened seed varieties, traditional Palestinian farming practices, and the cultural stories and identities associated with them. Based in the Village of Battir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site outside Bethlehem, the library also serves as space for collaborations with artists, poets, writers, journalists, and other members to showcase and promote their talents and work. Working closely with farmers, the Library has identified key seed varieties and crops threatened with extinction, and provides opportunities to inspire local farmers and community members to actively preserve their bio-culture and recuperate their local landscape.

The library has also launched a global platform for conversations about bio-cultural heritage. Its Traveling Kitchen is a mobile venue for social engagement in different communities, promoting cultural preservation through food choices.

Established 2014, Bethlehem, Palestine

Learn more about the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library and the work of Vivien Sansour on this website.

For more on Abu Samara, listen to this song dedicated to the wheat by Zaid Hilal: Abu Samra أبو سمرة حبة القمح .

 

Design
  • Vivien Sansour (PS)

    Vivien Sansour (Palestine) is a believer in the magic of the simple things in life. This magic represented in her work where seeds and soil are brought to life through her practice as a conservationist and writer. Vivien feels at home in the fields where farmers plant their seeds and share their stories. In her practice, Vivien combines the work of conservation with the sensory world of image and sound. She works with farmers around the world to find and reintroduce threatened crop varieties, and collects stories to assert the ownership of seeds by communities and not companies.

    Vivien was born in Palestine and grew up in Bethlehem. She does not live in one particular place as her work takes her to different communities around the world – from Palestine, California, Central America and the Caribbean. She is the founder of The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library and the Traveling Kitchen project, both initiatives aim to bring seed heritage back to the dinner table so we can, “eat our history rather than store it away as a relic of the past”.

  • Daleen Saah (PS)
Production
  • 100% Palestinian heritage seeds

    harvest 2020, packed in 2021

    10 x 15cm (size of package, including seeding information inside)

€7,50

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How can design help counteract unjust realities Rug industry was an essential part of their lifestyle Define what is needed to enhance social, political and emancipatory impact Disarming is an approach that positions design as a cultural tool to oppose oppression Storytelling can be seen as a form of resilience and resistance Giving space to other knowledges through a design process Collective memories highlight relationships that allow a crossing and intermingling between differences. Exploring how design can be a vehicle for political resistance and solidarity Investing in conditions for a learning experience that focuses on economic, political and artistic independence How to present work online and reach the right audience? Extraordinary people working in areas where cultural expression faces challenges The effect of occupation on local design and how it restricts craft and product development What does it mean to be Palestinian today, and how to express that through locally made designs? Overviewing methods and exercises on oral tradition A place for knowledge exchange and community building in relation to contemporary design How can we reflect, integrate and interact with oral tradition? “The only thing that gets me going is sharing stories.” What roles do listening, remembering and going public play in the performance of oral history? Ticking needles, curious questions, whispering experiments, rhythmic embroideries and a ping pong of ideas Supporting students and designers on reviving their industries of handicrafts and innovative production Can we think of freedom beyond a logic of progress? Learning together while doing Creating space for artists to link their designs with local histories. A collaborative process with high emphasis on creativity, collaboration, making and quality We felt powerless and were struggling how to relate to this uncomfortable truth Crafts are a social act that relates to the sense of a place, how a community is built How can we envision a political horizon beyond the realities around us? "Today in Birzeit." What is ‘home’? When and where are we at home? How can we change our surroundings and how can design contribute to the quality of life? Collaboratively developing a series of thought provoking products Showing the disarming reverse side of the black-and-white image
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The design is an invitation to the world to look closely Catalyse a broader view and prevent people from covering Reminding us to bear a greater responsibility towards life The false accusation may have ended, but the occupation has not Caring for identity is as important as protecting health itself Aside from their cultural significance, these seeds carry options for our future survival Catalysing a more open view and preventing people from covering over their own eyes when it comes to Palestine The more time we spend together, and listen, the more stories are unveiled A rapidly growing but comparatively small niche of Palestinian science fiction Sublime landscapes, tranquil urban scenes, frolicking children; who would associate these images with Palestine? “Record! I am an Arab, and my identity card is number 50 000” The Hirbawi factory is one of the only remaining factories to manufacture keffiyeh locally Wearing this unique piece on becomes both a political statement This apron shows what is the one and only recipe for its artist Our roots hold strong and silently in the earth Our trees are like our children The shared taxi is part of the West Bank urban landscape There are no possibilities of movement, since all the squares on the board are occupied Erasing the Israeli checkpoints from the landscape and envisioning a Palestine free from the occupation “We love life whenever we can” An illegal apartheid wall, on a scale impossible to imagine A flourishing craft industry established during the time of Roman rule in Palestine The artist decided to declare the existence of a non-existent state Only two soap factories survive today The occupation also takes part of the body and mind Living under occupation is an attack on people’s mental strength Most importantly they had the “Made in Palestine” tag on them The pattern of this keffiyeh is found and copied in Palestine Shoes have a long tradition as symbols of opposition and defiance You begin to realise that you have become yet another victim of the spell “I felt confused, between humiliation and joy" The birds’ freedom of flight and movement is in sharp contrast Behind each of these numbers there is a personal story The plates connect different locations in the world to Gaza The embroidery on this scarf is based on a traditional scarf in Gaza Travelling with a Palestinian Authority passport is still subject to many limitations Is it even possible to be neutral in situations of oppression? Why do we too rarely address the contemporary reality of this city and region Talking about Palestinian football is rare, although there is a national team This tailor-made garment is fragile Why can’t we be as generous as nature itself?
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The design is an invitation to the world to look closely Catalyse a broader view and prevent people from covering Reminding us to bear a greater responsibility towards life The false accusation may have ended, but the occupation has not Caring for identity is as important as protecting health itself Aside from their cultural significance, these seeds carry options for our future survival Catalysing a more open view and preventing people from covering over their own eyes when it comes to Palestine The more time we spend together, and listen, the more stories are unveiled A rapidly growing but comparatively small niche of Palestinian science fiction Sublime landscapes, tranquil urban scenes, frolicking children; who would associate these images with Palestine? “Record! I am an Arab, and my identity card is number 50 000” The Hirbawi factory is one of the only remaining factories to manufacture keffiyeh locally Wearing this unique piece on becomes both a political statement This apron shows what is the one and only recipe for its artist Our roots hold strong and silently in the earth Our trees are like our children The shared taxi is part of the West Bank urban landscape There are no possibilities of movement, since all the squares on the board are occupied Erasing the Israeli checkpoints from the landscape and envisioning a Palestine free from the occupation “We love life whenever we can” An illegal apartheid wall, on a scale impossible to imagine A flourishing craft industry established during the time of Roman rule in Palestine The artist decided to declare the existence of a non-existent state Only two soap factories survive today The occupation also takes part of the body and mind Living under occupation is an attack on people’s mental strength Most importantly they had the “Made in Palestine” tag on them The pattern of this keffiyeh is found and copied in Palestine Shoes have a long tradition as symbols of opposition and defiance You begin to realise that you have become yet another victim of the spell “I felt confused, between humiliation and joy" The birds’ freedom of flight and movement is in sharp contrast Behind each of these numbers there is a personal story The plates connect different locations in the world to Gaza The embroidery on this scarf is based on a traditional scarf in Gaza Travelling with a Palestinian Authority passport is still subject to many limitations Is it even possible to be neutral in situations of oppression? Why do we too rarely address the contemporary reality of this city and region Talking about Palestinian football is rare, although there is a national team This tailor-made garment is fragile Why can’t we be as generous as nature itself?
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