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From May 14–16, 2015, Joscelyn's Creole Portraits III suite of lithographs was featured (digitally and in the printed program) as part of The Manufacturing of
Rights
pluridisciplinary colloquium held at Ashkal Alwan (Beirut). Initiated in 2014, this
project accompanies the actions of Lebanese NGO Legal Agenda to investigate the
concept of Nature in the context of the law, as it is still invoked to
criminalize sexual orientation and gender identity for being “against nature”
in Article 534 of Lebanon’s Penal code, as well as in more than 50 countries
across the world. During the colloquium, participants attempted to unfold a series of
new arguments to show how the concept of Nature is imbued with multiple,
contradictory meanings used to regulate societal norms. The inquiry resulted
in an online data platform that seeks to equip judges and lawmakers with
cultural understandings for reinterpreting such penal statutes; it also included the production of a video by artist
Carlos Motta, in collaboration with
anthropologist Maya Mikdashi, as well as a co-written intervention by artists
Marwa Arsanios and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.
Founded in 2013 by Grégory Castéra and Sandra
Terdjman, Council
fosters the composition of knowledges—artistic, scientific, and social—in aim
to propose new political representations. Council unites pluridisciplinary
groups of researchers around inquiries related to societal issues, which are developed over several
years. Council equally favors the production of works and awards an annual fellowship to cultural actors in support of their social engagement.
(text adapted from the Council website)
Visit the Council website for The Manufacturing of Rights Colloquium here.
