Olivia Rosenthal and Mona Hatoum's 'suspendu' Explores Migration and Displacement

In 2009-2010, writer Olivia Rosenthal and artist Mona Hatoum collaborated on 'suspendu', a literary and visual project in Bobigny, France, with graphic designer Philippe Bretelle. Ephemeral posters were pasted on city buildings, featuring texts that weave together the voices of migrants and their experiences of displacement, waiting, and bureaucratic hurdles. The work juxtaposes poetic reflections on movement and arrival with raw testimonies of individuals navigating French administrative systems, such as queuing at the Préfecture for residence permits. One narrator recounts a childhood in a military camp in Algeria, migration to France, and life in a hostel. Another speaks of arriving from Algeria in the 1950s, his father's cinema in Belleville, and a life of constant motion. The project captures the 'suspension' between departure and settlement, highlighting the physical and emotional toll of migration. Published in artpress 2 n°26 (August/September/October 2012) under the theme 'MAC/VAL: Ce que l'art fait à la littérature', the work blends art and literature to give voice to those often unheard.