The Palestinian artist and architect Samir Harb’s graphic novel seeks to explore the urban semiotics of the city of Ramallah in Palestine. We show a work-in-progress.
Set on a construction site in Ramallah/Palestine, the graphic novel tells the story of the political transition which occurred on both an urban and ideological level between 2006-2007. New urban processes of a neo-Palestinian institutional image and state rebuilding have emerged. The story centers around a fresh graduate architect who finds himself caught up in this. He is assigned to supervise construction works in one of the main governmental headquarters − the well-known Mukataa, a compound which was previously under siege and destroyed in 2002. He has no idea what he is getting into despite the geography of destruction and the ruins of the site. However, he is passionately determined to pursue his future as an architect and help his city to heal from its wounds in the aftermath of the Israeli invasion. As events unfold, a conflict between his professional identity and a feeling of failure for helping to realize the Palestinian Authority’s dream starts to slowly develop within him. It becomes evident that his role as an architect will take a turning point. It becomes evident that his role as an architect will take a turning point.
This is a work-in-progress project seeking to explore the city of Ramallah’s urban semiotics.
Text by Samir Harb
More at http://samir-harb.tumblr.com/