When unspeakable violence happens before our eyes, and permeates our world to the point where we cannot escape, why do political, academic and cultural institutions retreat into silence? As part of Valiz’s Antennae series, 'In the Absence of Bombs' investigates this silence. In a time when horror is livestreamed and apathy is institutionalized, contributors ask how such emotional paralysis is possible; how art can amplify the horrors of war; and how creative professionals can combat systemic neglect. It especially centers on the ongoing military invasions of Palestine and Ukraine, featuring contributions by poets such as Mahmoud Darwish and artists such as Gamlet Zinkivskyi. Through testimonies from areas of conflict past and present, this book composes a polyphonic response to a world that demands clarity but offers none.

Edited with text by Pascal Gielen, Bahia Shehab. Text by Amir Ashkar, Jan Beddegenoodts, Yousra Benfquih, Marlies De Munck, Naama Shoshana Fogiel Lewin, Lara García Diaz, Mohamed Hijji, Erwin Jans, Mazen Kerbaj, Lara Khaldi, Maha Maamoun, Sohail Salem, Roschanack Shaery-Yazdi, Walid Taher, Jana Traboulsi, Emily Van Driessen, Annelys de Vet.