R&D 3:

The map:

Since I am exploring the concept of wall and separation I tried using different angles and surfaces of wall to bring forward the areas of my interest. 

I have the map of Palestine focussing on the west bank wall and where it goes. The graffiti and political messages on the wall and the relevant artist. Artist such as Banksy, Blu and many more artist that collaborated on the berlin wall or currently active with graffiti and spreading their political view point on walls. In addition I have listed news sources like Times, New York Times, Al Jazeera and Haarets that I am getting my information from and comparing with one another.  Also on another side of the wall I have the name of the artist and architects that work on walls and plays around with the notion of space.

If i get the chance to spend more time on this map I would like to make it an interactive map. Through that I can reduce some information not he walls so their forms show themselves more and by selecting the walls the audience can get a richer information relevant to that section.

Along with the map I had more explorations of the form and space with my selected material for this weeks critiques. During my exploration I started adding silhouette figures into the space to see how I can effect the space.

However thorough my process I realized not only the figures don't add to the space but also take away from the effect of the images. The audience will become viewers of that image other than becoming people within those space. Therefor as a result I decided to take the figures out and project the images in large scale and allow people explore and walk within the space themselves. 

This experiment lead me to a happy accident that I am taking as the next step for my research. Where I projected the photograph was a small and almost transparent door that made the audience want to open it and see what is behind the door. This encouraged me to explore more the idea of exhibition and notion of actual physical space.

Respond:
Everyone agreed with the idea of the door and suggested for me to explore using the physical space and the image. Also I was suggested to look at Wall drawings of Matthew Barney and Spaces created by Mike Nelson. Further more the exploration of large projections with the intend to integrate the viewers shadow was received with positive feedback. I find this weeks experiment and work really useful to entire process. Also taking out the implemented figures was a good idea because they do take away from the images.

R&D 2:

Step 2:

For the next step on my thesis I decided to dig deeper into the illustrations done on the wall. What grabbed my attention the most was the illustrations of the children on wall. 

 As I was researching the illustrations I came across the one with the the little girl searching the soldier. Exactly the opposite of what happens in reality, as I found this very different front he rest of the illustrations, I decided to dig deeper. and i found this interpretation of the graffiti on http://banksyworld.blogspot.com/ 

     West Bank Guard: An innocent child is used to display the tension in the region. In this painting, a little girl, complete with pigtails, depicts the innocence of children everywhere, caught in the middle of strife and political discord. What makes this piece interesting is the willingness of the guard to submit to a search by the tyke. Perhaps he himself is making a statement about the innocence of children on both sides of the barrier.

As this and many more of the graffitis were of the children I stirred my research toward the children of the conflict and the ones sounded by the wall and I came across very sad events such as Palestinian children being used as a human shield by the Israeli soldiers! Yet again another form of a barrier or wall. but this time made out of humans. 

In addition to above I looked into the effect of the wall on the families and homes that the wall was built through. How the wall has effected the community or the economy of that town. 

As a result of my researches and my interest in materials I attempted to recreate feelings that the wall and the conflict has created.

Response:

The response to this stage was positive in term of approach. I was recommended to look into the creation of space using materials and studying the psychological effects of the wall. The study of the Gif file was also received positively as it plays with the notion of wall and like and change. Frank Gehry's Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao praised, was one of the Suggested works to look at as well as Daniel Libeskind.

R&D Annotated Bibliography

WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception: (http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/weapons-of-mass-deception/)WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception. Dir. Danny Schechter. Perf. Peter Arnett, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. DVD. Cinema Libre, 2004.
// This non fiction movire movie explores the role of media before, during and after the war between US and Iraq. Danny Schechter asks his fellow media colleagues that he believes that they should have answered or covered before, during and after the war. The Director used clips and footage from the news and war in Iraq. 



Orwell Rolls in his Grave: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lYGyIaK80)
Orwell Rolls in his Grave. Dir. Robert Kane Pappas. Perf. Charles Lewis, Robert McChesney, Mark Crispin Miller, Bernie Sanders and Danny Schechter. DVD. Sag Harbor Basement, 2004.
// This movie is a strait forward documentary there for is not there to entertain, but it has a lot of information about media, journalism, politics, corruption and more. 



Fahrenheit 9/11:
Fahrenheit 9/11. By Michael Moore. Dir. Michael Moore. Perf. Michael Moore, George W. Bush and Ben Affleck. DVD. Studio Canal, 2004.
// One of the most well known documentaries after 9/11. This movie critically looks at the presidency of G W Bush and fight against terrorism and how the media covered it. He believes that media in the US was the "cheerleader of US and Iraqs war in 2003 and they did not truly justify the reason and rational behind the war.



Times Magazine: 
Baker, Aryn. "The YouTube War." Time 27 May 2013: 38-43
// I have been subscribes to the magazine for a year and have been following up on the articles. There are many articles that I found relevant and interesting in the magazine but the one that grabbed my attention the most was the You tube war in Syria. The article talks about how youtube has become a medium of war and acts as a weapon in this civil war. The both sides of the opposing group post up cruel videos of killing or torturing the other side of the fight to send a message or threaten each other. The main question that rises from this article is, what should youtube do with these videos as they increase the violence between the two parties. I will update the list of the other articles as I move forward.



Faces of the Enemy: book and documentary
Book: Keen, Sam. Faces of the enemy: Reflections of the hostile imagination. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986.
VHS: Faces of the enemy. Dir. Bill Jersey and Jeffrey Friedman. VHS. Quest Productions, 1987.

// In this film and book Sam Kenn, the write of the book, reviles how individuals and nations dehumanize their enemies to justify  inhumanity of killing them and war. Faces of the Enemy discusses that before we can kill someone we should " think them to death". My interest on this was the part that talks about how many in the USA perceive moslems as terrorist because of what they see an hear everyday on nightly news, in Islamic Fundamentalists’ characterization of the West as the ‘Great Satan’ and their own stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists. This movie and book even though they were written and made 17-16 years ago are still dated. for example every time Israel kills hundreds of people they justify their actions by saying that they killed 2 Israelis. 



One Palestine Complete: 
Segev, Tom. One Palestine, complete: Jews and Arabs under the Mandate. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2000.
//I am still reading the book. I will update this page as soon as I am done with this book



Occupation 101: Voice of the Silenced Majority (https://vimeo.com/14327996)
Occupation 101: Voice of the Silenced Majority. Dir. Abdallah Omeish and Sufyan Omeish. By Alison Weir. Perf. James Akins, Arik Ascherman and Bishop Barltlett Jr. DVD. 2006.
// This film is on the palestinian- Israeli conflict. the film focuses on the occupation of west bank, gaza and in general palestine by Israil and discusses events from the rise of Zionism to the second Intifada. It also discusses the American - Israeli relations specially the Israeli army and their occupation of the west bank and Gaza Strip.The documentary consists of many real time footage of the conditions in palestine and many interviews with mostly American and Israeli scholars, religious leaders, humanitarian workers, and NGO representatives — more than half of whom are Jewish — who are critical of the injustices and human rights abuses stemming from Israeli policy in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.



Israeli wall isolates Palestinian communities 
Kestler-DAmours, Jillian. "Israeli wall isolates Palestinian communities." ALJAZEERA 01 Jan. 2013. 09 Sept. 2013 <http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/12/20121225825178322.html>.
// The article discusses how the wall has isolated the Palestinians not only from Jerusalem but from the rest of their relatives on the other side of the wall. The wall has effected them economically and socially. many people had to abandoned their homes because the wall has killed the liveliness of the city. interviews and reports as such " The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories (UN-OCHA) had a similar analysis: "The barrier has also cut off land and resources needed for Palestinian land and development, resulting in the curtailment of agricultural practice and the undermined [sic] of rural livelihoods throughout the West Bank," read a 2011 report."is given to prove their point. Also in the article is mentioned yet again that the wall is recognized illegal but International Court of Justice but human rights groups have tried to change that and keep the wall as long as it is built on the green line. yet again that is also violated and 85% of the wall is built in west bank. 



Israel's assassinations raise questions 
Kestler-DAmours, Jillian. "Israel's assassinations raise questions." ALJAZEERA 01 Jan. 2013. 09 Sept. 2013 
// Yes another article is about Isriel defending himself therefor he assassins Ahmad Jebasi, Hamas's military commander. Israel officials argue that this is alighn with the international laws as they are defending themselves. They argue that it is better if you arrest and take the " terrorist" to the court but since that is not easy for them, then they just eliminate. during this process they have killed a dozen civilians and wounded many. My understanding is, the killing the palestinians is ok as long as they want to defend themselves.



(Fox News) Israeli Court Bans Use of 'Human Shields'  
Associated Press. "Israeli Court Bans Use of 'Human Shields'" Fox News. 06 Oct. 2005. FOX News Network. 16 Sept. 2013  <http://www.foxnews.com/story/2005/10/06/israeli-court-bans-use-human-shields/>.
//The article discuss the history of israeli's militant using palestinians as Human Sheilds in their battles. mainly children



(CBSNEWS) U.N. report accuses Israeli forces of using Palestinian children as human shields, abusing children in custody 
Trowbridge, Alexander. "U.N. report accuses Israeli forces of using Palestinian children as human shields, abusing children in custody." CBSNews. 21 June 2013. CBS Interactive. 16 Sept. 2013 <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57590368/u.n-report-accuses-israeli-forces-of-using-palestinian-children-as-human-shields-abusing-children-in-custody/>.
// The article is about UNISEF and UN report about child abuse in palestine by israilie soldiers and sometime being used as human shields. 



UN: Palestinian children tortured, used as human shields by Israel:
Reuters. "UN: Palestinian children tortured, used as human shields by Israel." Haaretz.com. 20 June 2013. Haaretz. 15 Sept. 2013 <http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.530993>.
// This article also Discusses the same topic that the other two articles talks about from Fox news and CBS news. only in more detail. The reason I read the three sources  was to see how the same message is delivered in comparison. 



Against the Wall: 
Sorkin, Michael. Against the wall: Israel's barrier to peace. New York: New P, 2005.// Introduction: 
// page vii paragraph two: " the wall ossified a social physics that holds that two national bodies cannot share the same space at the same time"
Introduction: page vii paragraph 2 last three line: " nevertheless, these modest result, as well as the numerous protests by peace groups, artists and others, reinforce solidarity across the border and provide an arena for nonviolent, ethical activity, a model for this book. 

R&D 1:

1 week thesis:

One of the longest ongoing conflicts in the middle east is the war between palestine and Israel that I believe we all hope for it to end soon fairly and soon. Therefor I picked West bank wall to start my research and exploration. Not only this wall functions as a barrier between palestinians and Israelis but also prisons Palestinians in their own land. It makes traveling within the cities extremely difficult to the point that many pregnant women hat to deliver their babies behind the closed doors of this wall. We always hear one party inviting the other to talk peace, to find a middle ground for negotiations, how can you illegally prison someone and expect them to talk peace. Not only this wall separates two neighbors from each other but also raises the question of borders. Based on international laws, not only this was not supposed to be build but also it is build inside the palestinian lands.  

Not only this wall as a barrier and border that is raised and build due to a conflict was interesting to me to look into but also this wall has become a canvas for international and national artist, like Blu, Banksy, Mark Jenkins, Sam3,[9] Ron English, Ericailcane, Swoon, and Faile, to communicate their message with everyone else. In the short time that I had to investigate this wall, I realized that everyone talks about hope, a dream a vision that they hope to achieve. Illustration of a girl trying to go over the wall with balloons, a little boy sitting under a long ladder that takes you across the wall, little kids playing through a cracked wall by the beach, pictures of cracked walls and more. All of these messages play along the lines of hope, crossing the wall or seeing what is on the other side. 

As a quick result for a one week thesis I created a wall that helps the two sides of the part communicate. I suggested a wall that has a window that either sides of the party can see one another and know what is on the other side. A wall that children's of each side can at least see one another and realize that they are exactly alike and they are both suffering something that they had no role in. This could symbolically be a window to a brighter future. As of right now, the closed 8 meter long concrete walls do nothing but increase more hatred. This way we can at least start opening windows to this prison.

Response :

Looking into the west bank wall is a solid starting point in researching conflict in the middle east. I have to make sure that I approach this project as a designer rather than a writer or a historian, therefor the glass wall as a design solution is a good place to start as a designer. I mentioned through my presentation that I am missing on the fun part of the project and I was told that, that is entirely up to me to make this project fun. It was wisely pointed out that even though the wall is a very sad place to begin with, but the drawings by the artists is a really fun way to communicate a messages on the wall. Both in terms of execution and the message itself. Furthermore, the effect of dehumanization and separation. How counter dehumanization can bring people closer together. 

I have to make sure that I don't allow my passion to learn more about the politics of the wall turn this project into the research paper or a book report. I should look into the wall as it is and try to learn and discover it without having to dig deep into the politics of palestine. Just focusing on the wall and discovering what is on wither side of it and the artists responses to the wall. The notion of what the wall is, for example the wall being as a divider. 

One other approach could be the study of different walls and the reason behind them and the function of each.

I was also referred to look into the interactive project by Coca Cola in India and pakistan trying to bring them closer to each other. Also to look into artist like Christo and Jeanne Claude that use giant curtains as walls in their art projects and see how their work visually is relevant.

I will be looking into the notion of wall and separation and borders to continue with the research.

Starting Thesis

Thesis Statement and Annotated Bibliography:

Why?

I strongly believe everything happens for a reason. I believe I am here to make a statement or at least put a small dot on this bog map that can at least raise a question or tickles a tough. As a middle eastern in the united states, I feel responsible to help the non middle eastern see the true side of us. Yes, I agree that not everyone is perfect on the other side of the world but I also think it is not fair to be recognized as a terrorist, supporter of nuclear weapons, extremist and or savages. I initially wanted to take my interest in interaction design to develop a way to improve our everyday life. However, over the summer break I had a little chat with my landlord ( s dingle lady in her 60's that TV and newspaper is her main source of information, and the show bachelors is her favorite show) that made me realize how misrepresented we are on this side of the world. She was telling me that some people deserve to die, to be more specific terrorist deserve to die. she was telling me how the president of the United states has to kill all the " bad people". she put her hand on my shoulder and said "darling, you are a nice girl but there are many people in your country that are bad." 

In addition to that I believe that as a graphic designer I have a responsibility. I believe design and art are a strong medium of communication. Putting the two together I decided to take advantage from this opportunity and follow my passion as a designer to hopefully made a difference.

Thesis statement: 

I would like to explore the value and importance of design in politics, especially in relations to the middle east. To begin, I have started to understand the term "conflict" and investigate the role of design within that territory.