The Funambulist Podcast (ENG)
Episode 158
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 2 ///
In this episode, we are joined by Areej Ashhab and Lobna Sana, who will share their tellings and reflections on repair, reclamation and return.
We begin in Jerusalem with architect and art researcher Areej Ashhab. In her stream of Consciousness Areej explores how repair is not born from a place of loss, but rather from acts of reclaiming and returning to traditional knowledge, material heritage and ecological intelligence as ways to shape and nurture the Palestinian imaginaries of liberation.
From there, we journey to the Naqab desert where we join Lobna Sana in her meditations on uprootedness and the multilayered meanings of return. Lobna tells us how an architectural practice of returning to her hands anchors a deep-seated connection to the land, keeping the path towards Palestinian return open.
Episode Hosts: Emilio Distretti and Husam Abusalem
Areej Asshab, 03:44-18:07
Lobna Sana, 18:43-33:55
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