Syria Ten Years On: Art, Journalism, and the Struggle over Narrative

This panel marks the tenth anniversary of the Syrian uprising with a conversation among three artist-journalist-curators who participated in the exhilarating initial days of the Syrian revolution. Topics discussed include: the struggle over narrativizing the revolutionary past and producing a sense of transformative ongoingness in the present; the relevance of different forms and genres of artistic and journalistic expression (specifically, documentary and feature filmmaking, visual arts, theater, curation, reportage, and cultural critique); and more general reflections on the relationships between aesthetics and radical politics.

Speakers include Mohammad Al Attar, a playwright and dramaturge; Alma Salem, a curator and cultural advisor; and Lina Sinjab, a journalist and filmmaker. 3CT co-director Lisa Wedeen moderates the discussion.

This event is presented by the Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory (3CT) and co-sponsored by the Arab Studies Institute and the Ten Years On: Mass Protests and Uprisings in the Arab World project.

Recorded March 18, 2021.