Faculty of Arts & Science

Digital Futures

Dania Khan

Hands In Protest

This project explores the symbolic and political power of hands in public space through an interactive video installation projected onto a Keffiyeh, a textile deeply tied to Palestinian identity and resistance. A custom Arduino circuit with a photosensor was embedded into the fabric, allowing the system to detect the shadow of a viewer’s hand. This gesture triggers protest footage, creating a direct and embodied interaction that mirrors the physical language of protest itself.The installation is further enriched through sound and animation. A custom animation mapped onto the Keffiyeh’s olive leaf pattern introduces movement and draws attention to its historical symbolism of resilience and connection to land. The final outcome is a responsive, immersive experience that merges cultural symbolism with interactive media, inviting audiences to engage, reflect, and participate in a shared narrative of resistance.Team Members:Dania Khan & Mobina Moghadasi

“An interactive projection-mapped installation that transforms the Keffiyeh into a living surface of resistance, memory, and collective action. By using the gesture of a raised hand to activate protest visuals, the work bridges body, symbol, and political expression. It invites viewers to not just observe protest, but to physically embody it.”