Be/Come Closer to Home: Narratives of Contested Lands in the Visual Practices of Katerina Attalidou and Alexandra Handal

AbstractWomen from Cyprus and Palestine are citizens of divided countries and have experienced conspiracies and invasions that have confiscated their homelands. This article investigates visual practices of women artists and the ways in which they are embedded in the space of each location. It aims to reflect on artists' experiences of borders, location and narrations of homeland. It focuses on the artistic practices of Greek-Cypriot artist Katerina Attalidou and Alexandra Handal, who engage in questioning and challenging issues on homeland, borders, history, citizenship, identity and exile. This article will enquire as to how the idea of homeland – real or imagined – is represented in visual works and will investigate how the usage of images and narratives can challenge the concept of home. Through the discussion of images this article will consider how these practices serve as a reminder of exile and develop a critical understanding of contemporary events and our reaction to them.