France - Algeria: Visualising a (Post-)Colonial Relationship (via the UK)

We have just returned from a 10 day tour of the UK on our pilgrimage to the "Visualising the Franco-Algerian Relationship since 1954" conference at the University of Manchester and to some places of Doug's ancestors' pasts. I heartily thank Joe McGonagle and Ed Welch for inviting me to participate in this enriching day of study. Although the weather (which was apparently the most snow Britain had seen in 30 years) left some would-be participants stranded, the conference was well attended and my co-presenters gave great talks. My paper, “(Re)turning to Ruins: Pied-Noir Visual Returns to Algeria” went a bit long thanks to my technological endeavors, but I enjoyed writing and delivering the talk and realize I have more to write as I continue to struggle with Dylan Trigg's ideas on ruins in conjunction with my work on nostalgia.

Zineb Sedira was in attendance -- she's a friend of Nadira Laggoune who presented on contemporary Algerian art. Zineb, an internationally respected artist (mostly video and photo), enlightened my perspective on numerous issues related to the Français d'Algérie, and told the story of her photo (left) of the maison abandonnée. At an exhibition of her work she met two women who lived in this house which was apparently a school that their father directed during colonial years and later a maison de torture. The women could (quite understandably) not accept what had happened to their once home.