Eye Witness Symposium

Giath Taha
Giath Taha is a visual artist exploring the intersection of aesthetics and politics, examining how images both shape and are shaped by societal structures. His practice investigates the ways visual expression influences perception, interaction, and transformation within contemporary struggles.

In the talk The Aesthetics of Ambiguity, two pieces connected to the war in Syria will be presented. Through these works, visual language is explored as a means to create an immediate yet open-ended dialogue with the audience. Rather than offering a conventional narrative, this approach invites interpretation, reflecting the uncertainty and complexity of war. This talk will delve into how ambiguity itself becomes an aesthetic and emotional experience.

Lawrence Abu Hamden
Artist and audio investigator whose work explores auditory consciousness and memory within the law and human rights. He practices what he calls “forensic listening” documenting sound which can both incriminate and exonerate  In his work Walled Unwalled,  (part of HLG collection) currently on display,  he delivers a monologue citing  trials that have hinged on auditory evidence perceived and collected through doors and walls including the story of the survivors of Syria’s Saydnaya prison.

In his talk Ear Witness,  Hamden will speak about his work which explores auditory consciousness and memory within the law and human rights.

Suha Nabhan
Suha Nabhan is from Syria and Palestine. She is a strategic communications expert with over eight years of experience, with a focus on migration, social justice, storytelling and narratives, and collaborating with impact-focused initiatives. She is the co-founder of Migration Jam, a creative agency, led by migrants, to change the mainstream negative narrative about migration through storytelling. Co-founding a storytelling project in Syria has made focusing on day-to-day human stories beyond battle-lines. Suha has worked and collaborated with international organizations, curated conferences, and managed multi-platform campaigns to drive narrative change.

In her talk Reclaim Our Stories: Art, Migration, and the Power of Narrative, Suha will explore the power of storytelling in amplifying migrant voices, reflecting on her recent trip to Syria and the Humans of Syria project. She will examine the challenges that migrants face, the role of art and cultural institutions in reshaping dominant narratives, and who gets to decide which stories are told. She will also discuss the role of galleries and art museums, mentioning her experience in Palazzo Grassi through two events that she co-organized there. And finally, discussing the action that Hugh Lane Gallery is encouraging in fostering transcultural dialogue and community building, by inviting a discussion on a more inclusive way forward.

Aislinn O’Donnell is Professor of Education in the Department of Education and of the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy in Maynooth University. Through a series of educational and pedagogical projects and in her teaching of philosophy of education, Aislinn came to situate her work and research in the fields and tradition of both education and philosophy.

In her talk, The Ethics of Witnessing: Philosophical Perspectives, Aislinn will begin by situating her research and experience in education in prison, and her engagement with art initiatives in prison, including that led by Brian Maguire in Portlaoise Prison. She will then outline a number of philosophical perspectives on the ethics of witnessing, and explore ways in which these may speak to both this exhibition and contemporary art practice more widely, as well as how art practices shape and inform such philosophical perspectives. She will conclude on a more exploratory note by turning to the environmental humanities in order to reflect on the ways in which ecological and multi-species literature may open up and deepen what the ethics of witnessing might mean when extended beyond the human species.

Dr Maria Maclennan is an award-winning academic researcher, designer, and Senior Lecturer in Jewellery and Silversmithing at The University of Edinburgh. Her work as the world’s first ‘Forensic Jeweller’ follows the trail from jewellery to justice; carefully dissecting the role of objects in a variety of forensic and criminal contexts. As an educator, forensic artist, disaster response consultant, and court-verified expert witness, Maria has worked with law enforcement and investigative agencies across the globe to provide advice and training on the identification of jewellery recovered with human remains.

In Identifying the Displaced: Resurrecting Migrant Voices through Visual and Narrative, Dr Maria Maclennan will discuss the ‘Identifying the Displaced’ project. Told through the objects carried with individuals on their journey, the heart of the Identifying the Displaced project is a collection of c.500 personal belongings attributed to the identities of over 100 identified and unidentified migrants who have lost their lives along ‘The River of Death’, a particularly treacherous migratory crossing in Evros, North Greece. Utilsing visual and narrative approaches, each object is gifted with a unique first-person narrative: an attempt to humanise every individual story and bring visibility to hundreds of identities otherwise erased.

Dr Isber Sabrine is a Syrian Spanish archaeologist and Senior Researcher at the Milá and Fontanals Institute for Humanities Research (IMF-CSIC), as well as the President of Heritage for Peace. He is a cultural heritage expert with extensive experience in heritage preservation, particularly in conflict zones. He holds a PhD in Heritage Management and has worked on numerous projects dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage in Syria and the broader Middle East. As the founder and president of Heritage for Peace, an international non-governmental organization, he has led efforts to protect endangered cultural sites, foster local and international collaboration, and support the post-conflict recovery of heritage. His work emphasizes community-based approaches to cultural preservation and highlights the role of heritage in rebuilding and reconciliation processes.

In his presentation Heritage in Conflict: Eyewitness Accounts and Protection Strategies Isber will explore how his work supports local communities, heritage professionals, and institutions in mitigating the impact of war through documentation, capacity-building, and advocacy. In conflict regions, heritage is often deliberately targeted, looted, or damaged, making protection efforts essential. The presentation will highlight his collaboration with stakeholders to enhance resilience, monitor at-risk sites, provide emergency stabilization, and counter illicit trafficking. A key focus will be on Palmyra, Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage site that suffered extensive destruction due to war. Sabrine has played an active role in assessing damage, supporting documentation efforts, and advocating for recovery strategies. Palmyra underscores the urgent need for international cooperation in safeguarding cultural heritage from conflict-related threats.

Declan McGonagle is a curator and writer focusing on relations between art/artists, institutional practice and public value. Formerly he was the curator of the Orchard Gallery [Derry], the ICA Exhibitions Programme [London], Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Civil Arts Inquiry in Dublin and also directed Interface – a research centre in University of Ulster, Belfast dealing with art, design and contested space and NCAD [Dublin]. He has served as Irish Commissioner for the Venice and Sao Paulo Biennales and has curated independent exhibitions and public art projects in Ireland and the U.K. He was shortlisted for the Tate’s Turner Prize and has served on the Turner Prize Jury and other national and international awards panels. He is currently curator of Dublin Port’s Engagement programme as part of its Port/City Integration 2040 Strategy and was recently appointed to the Board of Hugh Lane Gallery.