Phantom Limb
Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai

How does one cope with the existential rupture of losing one’s identity? This question was the departure point for Jameel Art Centre’s group show “Phantom Limb,” which explored the persistence of memory and practices of memorializing despite the destruction of cultural heritage and other touchstones of selfhood.

Engaging with the theme in a literal sense was Kader Attia’s documentary Reflecting Memory (2016), in which doctors and amputees describe phantom limb syndrome, where patients experience sensation in a body part that no longer exists. Attia attempts to repair the loss in his afflicted subjects through strategically placed mirrors that reflect extant limbs, only revealing the visual trick at the end of the film. Known as mirror therapy, this technique is an established way for patients to reconcile physical and psychic pain.