And Therefore A Philistine reconstructs the past through a never-been told visual story. With an allusion to the multiple meanings of the word philistine—an inhabitant of ancient Philistia and an uninformed/uncultured person— Alsharif’s exhibition contemplates a borderless land by unveiling her own subconcious. Presented across three floors of SALT Galata, And Therefore A Philistine includes a film and a selection of videos and installations, which actively extend beyond the actual Palestinian landscape.
A visual artist and a member of the Palestinian diaspora, Basma Alsharif’s practice inherently confronts the notion of home, both as a place of residence and origin. This “hereditary sitelessness” allows the artist to overcome the limitations of time and space, mirroring her national identity—fragmented as a result of shifting geopolitical conditions.