Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed changes that were initially embodied in various global and governmental decisions to manage the outbreak of the pandemic. Beyond the political and economic impacts, which have already taken place, in the form of national revolutions, increased tyranny of governments, and the growing competition and conflict between countries, this exhibition seeks to explore the changes that occurred in the social realm that are not separate from the political and economic changes. The spread of the pandemic made us practice physical distancing, which led to the disruption of the conventional learning process. As a result, higher education institutions have shifted to online learning/teaching, in an attempt to minimize the spread of the Virus and to maintain their activities.
Virtual learning (E-Learning) has led to significant changes in the lives of students around the world. Social relationships shrunk. The student movement has become unable to organize its work and protest, and eventually stopped. The student life has been almost entirely disrupted, the gatherings, the cafes, the artistic activities, the festivals, and even the sit-ins, and demonstrations. Accordingly, another lifestyle was imposed, which includes returning to the family, the self, and searching for new interests in books and movies that have been on our to-do lists for a while. This lifestyle, despite its callousness in the absence of the warmth of social relations, cannot be completely condemned. This poses some questions: What is a university without students, diversity, ideas, activities, a student movement, and colleagues? Or without skipping lectures for a date or solely visiting the university for the purpose of that date? What does university life look like off-campus? How did the campus become limited to the walls of your room? And, if there is a financial crisis that requires raising the tuition fees, then how will student protest look like? This is what we are dealing with now, and what the freshmen will deal with in their upcoming academic year.
The Idea Factory initiative in Birzeit University, invites you to participate in its exhibition: “Remotely”. This exhibition examines the student life, in the time of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of higher education institutions, and the use of e-learning.
This exhibition will include artistic works by students and teachers who have experienced the lockdown. All works will be displayed in early September on the website of the Muwatin Institute for Democracy and Human Rights. To participate in the exhibition, please send the artwork (painting, poster) in PDF format, no later than 10 August 2020 to [email protected]
For more information, please contact Ahmad Abu Zayyad, (Idea Factory coordinator) on [email protected]
