Despite growing criticism of the frameworks of International Law which codified the principle of distinction between combatants and non-combatants, the civilian-military duality continues to be a cornerstone of public discourse and a benchmark against which the legitimacy of military operations, humanitarian interventions, and media narratives about war are measured. While it is typically addressed from legal and humanitarian perspectives, this talk will discuss its spatial dimensions and the historical entanglements of civilian and military realms.

Monica Basbous is a multi-disciplinary researcher and educator trained in architecture and communication studies. Working through maps, images, games, text and hypertext, Monica’s practice is concerned with how power is negotiated through the production of space, time, knowledge, bodies, and their representations. They are currently a doctoral researcher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, where they are examining the growing incorporation of media technologies and warfare. Monica is a founding member of Qorras, where they co-develop methodologies for critical research and creative documentation. Recent writings were published in the Architectural Review, Middle-East Critique, Jeem, and Weird Economies.