Join us for the launch of Dr Sana Murrani’s latest book, Rupturing Architecture, which critically and visually explores the spatial practices of refuge in response to conditions of war, violence and displacement in Iraq from 2003 to 2023. Don't miss this insightful discussion on architecture, conflict, trauma, home and displacement.
Written by an Iraqi architect who has lived through the trauma of several wars, ten years of UN-imposed sanctions, an invasion and the subsequent violence, the book Rupturing Architecture. Spatial Practices of Refuge in Response to War and Violence in Iraq, 2003–2023 (Bloomsbury, 2024) captures a broad spectrum of spatial responses to trauma and presents a fresh perspective on how ordinary Iraqis create refuge across the spaces of the home, the urban environment, and border geographies.
In the face of spatial wounding and the many injustices suffered by the Iraqi people, there has also been a wealth of refuge-making practices that showcase their creative and imaginative design and adaptability to change and trauma over time. Rupturing Architecture employs methods such as creative deep mapping, memory work, storytelling, interviews, and case studies of architectural responses to the geographies of war and violence. At the core of the book are the lived and felt experiences of 15 Iraqis from across Iraq, whose resilience underscores a broader narrative of spatial justice and feminist spatial practices. The book articulates the dual nature of rupturing as both a sign of trauma and a powerful act of resistance, examining how these forces shape domesticity, urbanity, and border spaces. The concluding manifesto for spatial justice calls for a deep, integrated understanding of place, memory, and trauma, advocating for comprehensive strategies in the making of refuge spaces that also resonate in a wider, global context.
Date: Wednesday 4 December 2024
Time: 18:00–19:30
Venue: Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building
Ticket information: Free, booking required
Time: 18:00–19:30
Venue: Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building
Ticket information: Free, booking required
