‘Postcard to Palmyra’: bringing the public into debates over post-conflict reconstruction in the Middle East

This paper presents the results of the ‘Postcard to Palmyra’ project, which was run alongside a controversial installation of a replica of the triumphal arch from Palmyra in Trafalgar Square in 2016. The thoughts and feelings expressed here are those raised by the visitors to the replica arch. These complement critiques and discussions that already exist on the replica arch and bring in a new and much-needed additional element: public opinion. The postcards have given us an opportunity to see what people on the street felt about the replica arch, the potential of reconstruction in the future and the event itself. Various issues arise in the postcards concerning aesthetics, authenticity, authority, colonialism and how to run a public engagement event. In addition, the postcards give voice to people from the Middle East who are often not heard.