Accentuated against a stark white background, the objects portrayed above—functional, sacred, or purely decorative in their raison d'être—were created by individuals imprisoned in Khiam detention center prior to its closure in 2000. Among the most commonly crafted items were strings of beads, used by detainees as prayer beads or simply as "pastime." In interviews with Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, former inmates recounted how they would chafe their fingers rubbing olive pits against a wall to shape and smooth them into beads, which they would then wrap in the thread they had unraveled from their socks.
 
Deeply moved by these stories, Hadjithomas and Khalil resolved to depict a collection of these "relics of a forgotten history" in a series of 60 photographs, which stand as both a testament to the past and a celebration of the most human of impulses: creative expression. Denied access to the most basic possessions while concurrently placing themselves at grave risk of torture, former detainees responded to their dehumanizing treatment and surroundings with defiance. Inside Khiam's cells, the process of creating became a form of resistance and disobedience. As such, Hadjithomas and Khalil perceive art and creativity as a means by which prisoners of Khiam sought to "hold on, survive, and not loose [themselves]," thereby "preserv[ing] a humanity which this kind of camp tries to eradicate."         

Joana Hadjithomas (b. 1969 in Beirut) and Khalil Joreige (b. 1969 in Beirut) are Lebanese filmmakers and visual artists who have collaborated since the 1990s to produce cinematic and visual artwork. Their projects are largely focused on investigating the complexities of Lebanon's history and multi-layered representations. Such themes appear at the forefront of their 2008 documentary, Khiam 2000-2007, in which six former prisoners describe the cruel and degrading conditions to which they were subjected throughout their detention.

Hadjithomas and Joreige also utilize their art as a medium through which to question "the fabrication of imaginaries in the region and beyond." A topic of particular interest within their work is the role that images play in the framing and consolidation of such imaginaries. They are currently based between Beirut and Paris.