Yang Cao

The project aims to preserve and protect the collective memory associated with the Akka Al-Pasha bathhouse in Palestine. By creating an interactive art installation, the project seeks to engage visitors in experiencing and reflecting upon the history and cultural significance of the bathhouse. The project highlights the violent role of the Israeli occupation in transforming the bathhouse into a museum and denying the Palestinians of their traditional bathhouse practices and rituals. Through the use of traditional Palestinian soap-making methods and interactive elements, the project aims to evoke a sense of remembrance, raise awareness about the loss of cultural heritage, and foster dialogue on the importance of preserving collective memory. Ultimately, the project aims to honour the cultural significance of the Al-Pasha bathhouse in Akka during the Ottoman period and ensure its memory is safeguarded for future generations. The audience is able to take soap, wrap it in packaging on their own, and take a piece of bathhouse history home with them while carrying cartographies and maps of the history of the bathhouse.