Kafranbel
the citizens of Kafranbel, a town with a population of approx. 15.000 and belonging to the Idlib Governerate, are well known globally, ever since they decided to show the world their sentiments and comments on the situation of Syria, presented on handmade posters. and they made a small place well known to the world: Kafranbel, standing for a lot of other, unmentioned places.
The chosen formal concept has a high level of recognition:
the date, the place (Kanfranbel) is written on the bottom of the poster with the message.
men and/or boys hold the poster, a camera takes a close-up. the photo of this arrangement is being uploaded to the Internet.
as always a group is holding up the posters this concept underlines the assumption that these are not individual statements, but rather thoughts representing many and commonly shared.
the messages are statements and comments on the situation, written in Arabic or/and English, to spread them beyond language barriers and cultural boundaries. the people of Kafranbel use wit, sarcasm, satire, humour and sharpness not only in their words, but also in their figurative language.
On the 6th of March 2011 young boys, all under 15 years of age, got arrested for spraying slogans used across Arab countries during the uprisings, the people want to overthrow the regime, HOREYYA (freedom) and IRHAL (leave) on some walls along streets in Daara, a town near the Jordanian boarder south of Kafranbel.
The boys, inspired by the peaceful protests in Syria since the 28 January 2011 and the uprisings and revolutions in nationwide peaceful demonstrations and the start of the Syrian revolution on the 15th March, the Day of Rage across the entire country. the man to whom these messages were directed, felt insulted. his reactions are bloody.
male citizens of Kafranbel use the record cover of Pink Floyd`s Dark Side of the Moon to emphasize their rainbow dream for Syria
since then, stories of realities unfold.
in Kanfranbel, with Kafranbel, outside of Kafranbel, inside Syria and outside Syrian boarders.
Kafranbel became its own brand, a brand shaping one window into Syria.
compiled and text by rayelle niemann, march 2013
Kafranbel
OTHER PROJECTS ON CITYSHARING
→ Lens of a young Person
→ Abou Naddara
RELATED WEB SITES
→ Kafranbel on tumblr
→ Kafranbel / Kafr Nabil
[ Abou Naddara ]
[ Accessible Approach ]
[ Beyrouth ]
[ Cairo as Canvas ]
[ Dawam al hal min al muhal—No Condition is Permanent ]
[ De Montmorency à Metz ]
[ Dowry No ]
[ Fear of a Muslim Planet ]
[ Fragmented Letters ]
[ Gentle Wall project ]
[ Images and Images ]
• Kafranbel •
[ Leading a Smart Revolution ]
[ Lens of a young Person ]
[ Muraqabet amel jidariya—Watching the Creation of a Wall Painting ]
[ No Holy Cows ]
[ On Graphic Crimes and Visible Fractures ]
[ on going ]
[ PMS = Poster Message Service ]
[ Réconciliation ]
[ Rasael—Messages ]
[ Seipone ]
[ T.W.B.T.C ]
[ This is a picture book ]
[ Vitry ]
[ What remains and Things to come ]
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