Lurking terror in andor: the subaltern from above

Abstract

This essay draws discursive parallels between the Disney+ science fiction TV series Andor and the Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilization's (ANAMED) documentary exhibition Palestine from Above to explore curatorial and storytelling methods employed in resistance against colonial powers. It argues that both productions tell stories “from below” by strategically counterposing street-level narratives of resistance against the technological and archival–discursive dominance of an aerial gaze of a colonial power. In both cases, subversion of oppressor's “techniques” and “technics” is the key dynamics in the curatorial approach, storytelling, and art production. The essay establishes the Empire's aerial weaponry and surveillance in Andor as the show's true antagonist, representing a pervasive and technofascist terror from above. This futuristic depiction is then compared to the historical framework presented in Palestine from Above, where the colonial control is critically analyzed through juxtaposition of artistic interventions in the archival evidence with the very evidence used to enforce control. It is then concluded that Andor's fictional universe provides a powerful lens for understanding the real-world mechanisms of oppression documented in the exhibition. Ultimately, it underscores the anomalous and unique presence of Palestine from Above within the current Western cultural landscape and the necessity of engaging with counter-hegemonic storytelling and curatorial productions to enrich public discourse.