All Eyes On
Vertical Laundry: Stories of Self-Determination
by Ayman Alazraq & Liam Alzafari

Technique: Mixed Media Installation Materials: Archival photos from 1970s Palestinian resistance training camps 48 & the First Intifada 24 photos. (courtesy of Palestinakomiteen, Ebba Wergeland), projections, light & shadow, tape.

Lillestrøm - Norway
Nitja - winter 2024
Mahmoud Darwish said
Does the land of dreams have room for what remains in us and for us of dreams?
And can a dream dream even more? Of course, yes! Within us is more than land, and on the land, more than exile. Within us is the one descending from his image, which remains hanging on the wall and the coffin.
This installation embodies the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, with the concept of “Intifada” derived from the root “n-faḍ” (نفض), meaning “to shake off” at its core. Much like shaking dust from a garment, this work visualizes the effort to rid the land of colonial impositions that cling but never settle deeply. “Intifada” also holds deeper meanings, symbolizing thorough inspection, vigilance, and fertility, much like the youth of the resistance who carefully engage with their environment to reclaim space and identity.
Vertical Laundry airs out collective narratives, interthreading everyday acts of defiance with the broader resistance movement. Light and shadow play across the space, projecting historical images that merge the past with the present. As the work invites viewers to experience the weight of a history built on self-determination.
Through its sensory engagement, the installation asks you to reflect on your own ideas of freedom and belonging, as the stories woven into the piece extend beyond the Palestinian experience to touch universal themes of resistance, renewal, and identity. How do we shake off the dust of oppression and reclaim what is ours?
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