Sahara: Acts of Memory

The publication further illuminates the Berbić family’s refugee story and the identity project by Ismet. In the lead essay, curator Karen Kice discusses Ismet’s and Amir’s use of design as an expansive tool and contextualizes it within design history. She also looks at the role of design in Sahara in relation to other contemporary refugee projects, in which design extends beyond the basic human needs of shelter and clothing to address needs of identity and dignity. Reflections by Joanne Nucho, assistant professor of anthropology at Pomona College, and Wendy Pearlman, professor of political science at Northwestern University, provide insights into the dynamics of refugee communities today. The catalog also includes an oral history by the Berbić family that expands upon their experience as refugees and chronicles how this project impacted their lives. Design: Naveen Hattis