Emily Jacir Ex Libris

ex libris commemorates the approximately thirty thousand books, belonging to Palestinian homes, libraries, and institutions, that were looted by Israel in 1948. Six thousand of these books are kept and catalogued at the Jewish National Library of Israel in Jerusalem under the designation 'A.P.' (Abandoned Property).Jacir photographed these books with her cell phone during repeated visits to the library over the course of two years. With her intimate explorations, selection, and cataloguing, Jacir creates a a register of the fragments and traces she documented. She has also translated into German and English some of the handwritten inscriptions of the former owners, and is exhibiting them along with the Arabic on billboards in public spaces throughout Kassel. Her work not only addresses the looting and destruction of books but also raises questions regarding repatriation and restitution.