Patricia Echeverria

Ramallah, 2019

Patricia Echeverria is an artist and psychologist working across multiple disciplines (including: architecture, immersive technologies, storytelling, therapy, & social justice,) to explore how we can bridge perceptual & socio-cultural differences to design physical, emotional, and digital spaces that foster human connection, compassion, and empathy across physical and socio-political divides.

The idea was to create a ‘therapeutic’ box, and to re-invent how we interact in public space: to turn inward & create safe spaces for personal expression. Inevitably, the personal narratives turned political. The vehicle itself became a tool for personal and political expression, and stories became a living testimony of life under the occupation.

Because freedom of movement is limited in the West Bank, we created a therapeutic space that could travel to serve different communities across the area. We took the metallic sketelon of a Coca Cola trailer, and converted it into ‘a modern confessional’.

As part of the tour, we conducted a series of workshops throughout nine locations: Khan al Ahmar, Hebron, Bethlehem, Aida Camp, Beit Jala, Jericho, Ramallah: city center, Ramallah: Amari Camp, Ramallah: old city. We spoke to hundreds of individuals, and collected video, audio, and visual testimonials of their personal experiences.

The personal and public stories (as well as the ambient sounds) collected throughout the tour, were collaged to form an original soundscape, composed with sound artist Shi’rap.

The idea was to turn the stories of struggle into experiences of individual and collective catharsis, liberation and empowerment. This becomes a process of celebration regarding the resilience and strength of the publics we were both listening, and speaking to. From the stories collected, we found five themes, which continued to emerge from one narrative to the next, each theme intertwining and depending on the next. The following are stories of inner and outer resistance, implicitly or explicitly responding to the political situation, and the limitations imposed by the occupation.

The soundscape inspired an experimental playback theater piece, produced in collaboration with the Freedom Theatre, at Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah.

The idea was to turn the stories of struggle into experiences of individual and collective catharsis, liberation and empowerment. This becomes a process of celebration regarding the resilience and strength of the publics we were both listening, and speaking to Patricia.