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Roots of Exile

Design as authorship: curating 22,000 archival photographs into a narrative of Palestinian history, resilience, and ongoing erasure.

PUBLICATION DESIGN

CATEGORY

PUBLICATION DESIGN

DETAIL

2025 ARTCENTER GRADUATE STUDIES
Instruction: Tracey Shiffman

CREDIT

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ARCHIVE EDWARD SAID ESTATE

Impactful design rests on storytelling, intersectionality, and meaning-making. This concept is exemplified by Roots of Exile—a book exploring a 22,000-photo archive of pre-1948 Palestine (prior to the British establishment of the state of Israel) from the Library of Congress (LOC). The resulting 160-page book traces a web of history of Palestinian colonization and cultural resilience through the juxtaposition of archival photography and scholarly essays by Edward Said; weaving together an exposition of Palestinian life prior to 1948 and up to the present moment.

Research Process

I wondered, “how many of these sites still stand today?” as I looked at a social media post displaying photographs of pre-1948 Palestine. This question lead to the discovery of the archive, collected by the American Colony Photo Department from 1898–1946. From this vast collection, 240 were selected for the final book content. All captions were kept intact from the original.

The design juxtaposes colonial documentation, archive and unedited captions, with essays by Edward Said, the Palestinian-American academic whose theory of orientalism remains a cornerstone in “post”-colonial studies. Displaying the two side-by-side recontectualizes the archive and plays with both perspectives: imperial record-keeping against lived experience.

The design juxtaposes colonial documentation, archive and unedited captions, with essays by Edward Said, the Palestinian-American academic whose theory of orientalism remains a cornerstone in “post”-colonial studies. Displaying the two side-by-side recontectualizes the archive and plays with both perspectives: imperial record-keeping against lived experience.

Content Highlights

Our narrator: the locust

A locust plague documented in the archive became the book's central metaphor; a symbol of destruction and regrowth that frames the narrative's opening and close.

Our narrator: the locust

A locust plague documented in the archive became the book's central metaphor; a symbol of destruction and regrowth that frames the narrative's opening and close.

Quiet restraint

The book's design is scholarly and elegant with quiet restraint, yet undeniably political. Every choice, from typeface to pacing, holds tension between academic rigor and urgent documentation.

Quiet restraint

The book's design is scholarly and elegant with quiet restraint, yet undeniably political. Every choice, from typeface to pacing, holds tension between academic rigor and urgent documentation.

Breaking the grid

At one point, the book's structure breaks down, as if the book itself is exasperated that no amount of words will convince some readers to see this history. The design abandons restraint to express what language cannot.

Breaking the grid

At one point, the book's structure breaks down, as if the book itself is exasperated that no amount of words will convince some readers to see this history. The design abandons restraint to express what language cannot.

Architectural Memory

The second section highlights 16 architectural sites throughout Palestine, some dating to 2000 BCE, some as recently as 2022. Each site represents a layer of Palestinian culture, heritage and historic legacy.

Architectural Memory

The second section highlights 16 architectural sites throughout Palestine, some dating to 2000 BCE, some as recently as 2022. Each site represents a layer of Palestinian culture, heritage and historic legacy.

Design as a mirror for reality

This section ends abruptly, informing the reader that all sites featured in this section have been destroyed by Israeli bombs, followed by statistics on the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Design becomes documentation of erasure.

Design as a mirror for reality

This section ends abruptly, informing the reader that all sites featured in this section have been destroyed by Israeli bombs, followed by statistics on the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Design becomes documentation of erasure.

AI and digital colonization

A speculative motion campaign uses AI to generate video from the archive, provoking dialogue on digital ethics, consent, and visual colonization in the AI age; carrying the theme of colonization beyond the page and into the future. Important conversations we need to be having about the impact of AI on creative process, design thinking, and social impact work.

AI and digital colonization

A speculative motion campaign uses AI to generate video from the archive, provoking dialogue on digital ethics, consent, and visual colonization in the AI age; carrying the theme of colonization beyond the page and into the future. Important conversations we need to be having about the impact of AI on creative process, design thinking, and social impact work.

Outcome

Impact and ongoing dialogue

Roots of Exile has lived beyond the classroom; presented with my class at the YODEX design conference in Taipei, exhibited for multiple terms in the ArtCenter gallery and even serving as concert visuals for Palestinian artist, Lina Makoul. The book continues to build bridges, spark important conversations and make connections—exemplifying design as authorship, transforming complex research into shared understanding.

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All images are owned and © by the respective holders and are presented here for educational purposes within the “fair use” terms of US Code: title 17, sec. 107. No paid promotion.

All images are owned and © by the respective holders and are presented here for educational purposes within the “fair use” terms of US Code: title 17, sec. 107. No paid promotion.

All images are owned and © by the respective holders and are presented here for educational purposes within the “fair use” terms of US Code: title 17, sec. 107. No paid promotion.

© Jess/ica Hylek 2025