Mieke Bal: The Architecture of Loneliness. Reflections on Displacement and Welcoming

Title: Mieke Bal: The Architecture of Loneliness. Reflections on Displacement and Welcoming
Published by: Valiz, Amsterdam
Release Date: 2024
Contributors: Mieke BAL
Pages: 130
ISBN13: 978-94-93246-35-5

9900 HUF

The aftermath of the Covid restrictions, mental problems, being confronted with the influx of people with a different background and culture, the alienation of ourselves and of others, not being able to relate to other people; these can all cause deep feelings of loneliness. What is loneliness, as different from solitude? Whereas solitude is a chosen condition that refrains from social relations, loneliness suffers from the lack of these.

The three essays in this book each explore a side of loneliness, strongly connected to the encounter with the other. South-African psychologist Wahbie Long lays out what kind of relationships to the outside world emerge from childhood experiences of playing and relating to others. He dives into the difficulty of not only encountering, but finding others. Long brings together a great many aspects that all contribute to the feeling of loneliness that characterizes the lives of migrants, asylum seekers, or refugees on the road.