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I am the context, 2024, mixed media, photography by Mehaira Abdelhamid
I am the context is a collection of work that explores Amina’s experience of having her artwork and voice censored while attending Loughborough University. In I am the context, Amina uses her art to explore the intersection of censorship, political expression, and institutional suppression. The red veil, inscribed with phrases from her poem 13 Letters, 2 Words, 1 Space, serves as a powerful symbol of resistance against the erasure of voices, particularly those advocating for Palestinian rights.
Amina is photographed wearing the veil while walking around The Barbican estates in London. The Barbican was used as the location for the photography as it is an institution known for its anti-Palestinian censorship.
On February 6, 2024, the Guardian reported that the Barbican cancelled a lecture by Pankaj Mishra, organised by the London Review of Books, after learning he planned to address the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Following this, nine artworks were withdrawn from the Barbican’s new exhibition at the time, Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, citing the institution’s “censorship, repression, and racism” in response to its anti-Palestinian stance.
In 2021, Amina won third place in a Loughborough University contest for a mural celebrating diversity. The mural featured symbols such as Black Lives Matter, Pride, and “Free Palestine.” However, in early 2022, she was informed that the university had concerns about the “Free Palestine” slogan, fearing it might offend Jewish students and staff and was asked to alter the mural. Amina refused and explained the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Three weeks later, she was told her mural would no longer be displayed.
This decision seemed inevitable, especially given the university’s ties to Caterpillar UK, Rolls Royce and BAE systems; companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine. Despite this censorship, she later learned that Israeli artist Amikam Toren was invited in 2023 to display work featuring the “Free Palestine” slogan at Loughborough University’s Martin Hall Gallery. This shows clear disparity in how Amina’s work was treated and indicates blatant discrimination and hypocrisy.
This collection not only reflects Amina’s personal experience but also stands as a broader commentary on how institutions can silence marginalised voices under the guise of inclusivity, while perpetuating a harmful, discriminatory status quo.
Artwork and Creative Direction by Amina Pagliari
Photography by Mehaira Abdelhamid
James Esson 