Presented in the context of the we refuse_d exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Emily Jacir addresses her 2016 installation Notes for a Cannon, which traces histories of British colonial rule in Palestine and Ireland. She contextualises the work within a broader range of artistic pursuits, including collective practices and artist-built infrastructures.
Respondent: Esmail Nashef
Jacir’s practice encompasses film, photography, installation, performance, sound, and text. Her work explores personal and collective movement in public space, examining the physical and social experience of trans-Mediterranean geographies. Through historical and archival research, Jacir has developed a layered body of work rooted in gathering, community, and social affiliations.
Esmail Nashef is associate professor in the Anthropology and Sociology programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. He is also a critic and curator whose research focuses on language, ideology, cultural institutions, visual arts, and literature.