Down with Sadness and Life on Pills: On the Joy of Bodies in Urban Space

Compared to previous demonstrations in the post-war era, the demonstrations of the Civil Movement in Beirut (August-September 2015) carried with them something different – a small something, almost undefinable, elusive, but there nonetheless. The slogans, the modes of action and the people who participated are the carriers of that something, but also, a certain way of occupying and reclaiming the urban space, examined through the perspective of the joyful body in the city.

The talk is part of Denormalizing Bodies. Rehearsing Citizenship, Workshop II of HWP 2015-16

Image Caption: Sandra Noeth, Wounded Places, San Pio/Lecce, Italy