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“Returnee 67”: Mapping the Memories of the Syrian Golan
October 02, 20247:00 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62).
7:00 p.m.
Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached
In Spanish and in Arabic, with simultaneous translation.
On Wednesday, October 2, Casa Árabe presents this creative resistance project at its headquarters in Madrid, led by Iyas Shahin and Wesam Al Asali, co-founders of IWLab.
In 1967, the Israeli army displaced many Syrians from their villages in the Golan Heights, compelling them to seek refuge in cities like Damascus and Homs. Today, most of those who were dispaled are over 60 years old, yet they keep their memories about their villages alive through notes, texts, and conversations.
"Returnee 67" is a project that presents a collective narrative through a map, reconnecting us with the built and lived environment of Ayn Fit, a village now in ruins in the occupied Syrian Golan. Led by Iyas Shahin, a Damascus-based architect and researcher whose family hails from Ayn Fit, the project seeks to revive the vibrant life that once existed there, drawing upon the imagination and memories of its people. Beyond merely mapping land and borders, "Returnee 67" embodies a creative act of resistance, a defense of life, and a struggle to reclaim the present.
The project will be explored in discussions between Iyas Shahin and Wesam Al Asali both are the co-founders of IWLab. Both will highlighting IWLab’s approach to creative mapping in art and architecture within Syria and beyond..
Iyas Shahin
Iyas Shahin is an architect, researcher, and artist with a master’s degree in architectural and urban design from Damascus University (2013) and a Ph.D. in housing (2017). He is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at Damascus University. Alongside Wesam Al Asali, Shahin co-founded IWLab in 2009, a multidisciplinary practice focusing on cultural and architectural design. His work investigates the role of architecture in crises, cultural heritage awareness, and spatial justice. Since 2021, Shahin has been exploring experimental documentaries as a medium for critique and architectural observation of cities.
Wesam Al Asali
Wesam Al Asali is an architect and designer, serving as an Assistant Professor at the IE School of Architecture and Design and the Director of Materials and Methods. He graduated in Architectural Engineering from Damascus University (2007) and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (2021). In 2009, he co-founded IWLab, a research hub for cities, building cultures, and crafts in Syria and the Middle East. Al Asali’s work explores building crafts, natural materials, and vernacular architecture in Spain, and Syria. His research focuses on environmental design practices that integrate construction technology with local architectural crafts.
"Returnee 67" is a project that presents a collective narrative through a map, reconnecting us with the built and lived environment of Ayn Fit, a village now in ruins in the occupied Syrian Golan. Led by Iyas Shahin, a Damascus-based architect and researcher whose family hails from Ayn Fit, the project seeks to revive the vibrant life that once existed there, drawing upon the imagination and memories of its people. Beyond merely mapping land and borders, "Returnee 67" embodies a creative act of resistance, a defense of life, and a struggle to reclaim the present.
The project will be explored in discussions between Iyas Shahin and Wesam Al Asali both are the co-founders of IWLab. Both will highlighting IWLab’s approach to creative mapping in art and architecture within Syria and beyond..
Iyas Shahin
Iyas Shahin is an architect, researcher, and artist with a master’s degree in architectural and urban design from Damascus University (2013) and a Ph.D. in housing (2017). He is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at Damascus University. Alongside Wesam Al Asali, Shahin co-founded IWLab in 2009, a multidisciplinary practice focusing on cultural and architectural design. His work investigates the role of architecture in crises, cultural heritage awareness, and spatial justice. Since 2021, Shahin has been exploring experimental documentaries as a medium for critique and architectural observation of cities.
Wesam Al Asali
Wesam Al Asali is an architect and designer, serving as an Assistant Professor at the IE School of Architecture and Design and the Director of Materials and Methods. He graduated in Architectural Engineering from Damascus University (2007) and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (2021). In 2009, he co-founded IWLab, a research hub for cities, building cultures, and crafts in Syria and the Middle East. Al Asali’s work explores building crafts, natural materials, and vernacular architecture in Spain, and Syria. His research focuses on environmental design practices that integrate construction technology with local architectural crafts.
