Friday, June 3rd, 10.45 – 13.00, at Università di Verona, Room 1.1
Abstract:
This paper argues that the ‘Roma problem’ in the EU is often translated into a ‘space problem’ and invarriably moved onto an 'aesthetics' terrain in which all Roma politics become directly connected to a particular 'negative' image of the 'Roma camps'. By turning its attention to the recent politics of Roma expulsions in France, this paper seeks to better understand their implications by looking at: a) the relationship between the Roma’s sedentary vs. nomadic lifestyle; b) the Roma’s use of space to secure both visibility and invisibility; and c) the state’s problematic use of legal violence in order to control and police the Roma. The paper strongly suggests that the Roma ‘space problem’ cannot be solved by attempts to either construct (settlement) or constrict (expulsion) Roma spaces by an outside authority, but rather through an acceptance of Roma’s temporary presence, and the 'aesthetic' implication of that —even if it involves a long-term temporality—in camps ‘abroad’ and continued support for Roma communities ‘at home.’
