Paper short abstract:

Stairways connect Amman and function as vertical shortcuts in an otherwise unruly landscape. Thick blankets from Wast al-Balad on the other hand cover you in a sense of heavy fluffiness. I use these two images to reflect on how I have been moved to think about the arts of living queerly in the city.

Paper long abstract:

By reflecting on two images; stairways and heavy fluffy blankets, this paper reflects on how I have been moved to think about the role of atmospheres in the arts of living queerly in Amman. First image: Numerous stairways connect Amman's seven hills and they function as shortcuts that produce vertical lines in the otherwise twisty turny streets that sprawl like unruly snakes in the landscape. On them, in a sense, you have only your body. There are no other vehicles that can move on them. This can provide both a sense of intimacy and a sense of risk. Some of the vibrantly painted steps stand in stark contrast to the white-turned-beige lime stone that otherwise (over)rule the aesthetic experience of the city. They are distinctive and yet connected to the overall urban tapestry. Second image: In Wast al-Balad you will find thick fluffy blankets for sale. Those same blankets that are used to warm you in front of the gas heater in winter have been turned into a conceptual fashion collection by the artist Fadi Zumot thus changing the meaning of those same blankets as they are being exhibited in the city. Through being attuned to the relationship between people, things and the urban landscape, and inspired from the overall panel, the paper reflects on what happens to the engagement with an ethics of seeing queerly when the gaze is turned towards those relationships in a radical way.