Guest Podcast: Architecture of Repair in Palestine 1/3

With

Published

The Funambulist’s 59th issue (March-April 2025) is dedicated to Palestinian Return, which led to two collaborations with friends: the exhibition d’abord les fraises, ensuite les fleurs at FORDE in Geneva, and the hosting of this podcast, Architecture of Repair in Palestine on our platform. This podcast, produced by Emilio Distretti and Husam Abusalem, deliberately makes bridges with our issue, inviting some its contributors Dima Srouji, Areej Ashhab, Mahar Musleh, and Lobna Sana, as well as Mohammed Al Hawajri, Mona AlMsaddar, and Khalid Dader to provide their perspective on the question of Repair, in a similar way we asked our contributors about Return.

Presentation of the podcast by the producers/hosts ///

Architecture of Repair in Palestine is a nomadic forum that brings together architects, conservators, artists, community members, activists and academics to discuss, imagine and elaborate visions of repair for the liberation of Palestine. To help us attune to a language, we have asked a number of Palestinians to share with us their reflections in the form of a monologue that anchors and captures the stream of consciousness of this present moment as they attend to the question: What does repair mean amid genocide and mass destruction? And, is it even still a possibility?

EPISODE 1 ///

In this episode, we will, uninterruptedly, listen to the reflections of Khalid Dader, Mahar Musleh, and Mona AlMsaddar as they share with us their thoughts, memories, pains, and hopes around the possibilities of repair, healing, and home.

First, we begin with Khalid Dader, a researcher from Gaza now living in Finland. Khalid shares with us his intimate and thought-provoking experiences with the “ghost of repair” that has been chasing him since leaving Gaza, questioning the very feasibility of repair.

Next, we move to Jerusalem with Mahar Musleh, a Palestinian researcher now living in belgium. Mahar invites us to reflect together on the difficulties of repair by understanding one’s positionality within the collective and telling us stories of grounded practices of repair to engage, not with nostalgia, but with responsibility.

Finally, we conclude with Mona AlMsaddar, a poet from Gaza, currently living in Qatar. She gently guides us toward how we might consider repair in its symbolic form, as not just a matter of fixing, but how we can consider the house as a matter of being, of living, and of becoming. 

Episode Host: Husam Abusalem

Khalid Dader, 04:00-17:16
Mahar Musleh, 17:53-36:52
Mona AlMsaddar, 37:27-1:09:33

Credits ///
Producers/Hosts: Emilio Distretti and Husam Abusalem
Editing: Margarida Waco
Soundscape: André Taylor, Emotional Temporalities – Blue Hour (Tracks: Healing & Gravityless)
Visual Identity: Shehrazade Mahassini

Special Thanks: Dubravka Sekulić

Episode 2 >>> Episode 3 >>>