Violent Infrastructure: Ecologies of Decay and Displacement

Arcadia Exhibitions, in cooperation with the Landman Library, is pleased to present “Violent Infrastructure: Ecologies of Decay and Displacement,” featuring thirty photographs taken by ten internally displaced persons (IDPs) from armed conflict in the Republic of Georgia, on display from Mar 25 – May 5, 2024 in the Landman Library.

Curated by Dr. Ariel Otruba, adjunct professor in the Historical and Political Studies Department, this traveling “photovoice” exhibition captures IDPs’ three-decade-long experience living in “temporary” housing in the former Soviet spa resort of Tskaltubo. The photographs were collected as part of a research project studying how housing quality impacts IDPs’ sense of identity, personhood, and dignity; shapes IDPs’ life trajectories and relationships; and structures IDPs’ decisions, daily routines, and social practices.

Otruba engaged IDPs in the research process through a method called photovoice, a participatory action method that uses photographs taken by research subjects to confront community problems. Each photograph in this collection was taken and titled by IDPs in Otruba’s study. Captions accompanying each image include excerpts from each participant’s interview to explain the stories behind the photographs. The goal of this method is to amplify the voices of those in positions of limited power to tell their stories of marginality, injustice, or exploitation and advocate for political and social change. 

In a period of increasing numbers of forcibly displaced people worldwide, this exhibition builds critical consciousness by amplifying the voices of displaced persons to tell their own stories of marginalization, social exclusion, and war’s impact over an elongated time horizon.