Maids room : architecture of servitude recognized by graphic arts

Abstract

In a country of a population of over four million, Lebanon is home to roughly 200,000 or more domestic workers who migrate to work as live-in maids from across Asia and Africa. According to human rights organizations, a large number of housemaids are suffering from human trafficking, and some aspects of their living conditions remind us of slavery (Fernandez, 2015). In this Master project, the objective is to study the visual and conceptual tools mobilized by artists and designers in order to make visible and discernable aspects of human servitude in the Lebanese housemaids’ context. Design and art will be explored and analyzed in order to design a new concept addressing new perspectives aiming to let the audience live and feel a specific experience. The purpose is to focus on the problematic issues related to the architectural constructions of houses in Lebanon and to understand how an architectural concept, which gives a specific surface and location for the housemaid’s room, can lead us to more social, historical and architectural concerns. The aim is to build a new strategy that tackles the architectural living space while thinking about issues like luxury, poverty, comfort and torment. The design work consists of a room full of experiences. Once the viewers enter the room they will feel a sequence of emotions without any interruption in order to live the full experience between time, space and emotions. The experience lived inside the room is the contradiction between luxury, prosperity, comfort, poverty, pain, and work. The aim of this work is to initiate a physical and emotional experience of the case of housemaid being a form of modern day slavery; and to try to make changes in the everyday behavior of Lebanese people so they can be more humane with housemaids. The research uses the case study methodology supported by observations and interviews with lawyers, architects, designers, artists, etc., in order to understand the life conditions of many housemaids in Lebanon, and to think about the power of art and design in addressing social issues. In addition, all methods used served in creating the final design project.