ReCNTR + 1646 Residency – Selected Artist-Researcher

We are excited to announce the selected artist-researcher for the collaborative residency with 1646 taking place from September to October 2024. We would like to welcome Inas Halabi and her research project The Right of Return to our residency.

In the project, Halabi (PS/NL) will critically examine afforestation projects initiated by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in Palestine. It reflects on how “foreign species”, through their rapid growth and acidity, rendered the soil unusable and thus hampered the local economy, which was dependent on agriculture. Through this lens, the project brings invisible forms of violence to our attention.⁠

The jury was moved by the social urgency of Halabi’s research and excited about the way ReCNTR and 1646 will be able to contribute to the different stages of her multimodal practice. Halabi’s research involves disrupting normative representations of reality by, among other techniques, experimenting with indigenous plants as film developing agents. In supporting this artistic investigation, the residency will offer Halabi access to the Leiden University community of scholars as expert interlocutors.⁠

The selection was made by a jury of 13 readers, with an artistic, curatorial, academic and/or creative research background. Halabi’s project was the finalist over a 4 stage-selection process. The initial applicants list of 1496 was first reduced to 57, later to a short list of 6, followed by an interview with the 2 final candidates.⁠

We look forward to working with Inas and 1646. Stay tuned for further updates.