This highly topical group exhibition focuses mainly upon work by artists from Palestine, in order to shine a light on how the contested region’s people continue to survive under the harshest conditions. Celebrated Dutch artist Henk Visch has curated a selection of work that resonates with the emotions, ideas and words of multiple generations of Palestinians, and to this added pieces by both himself and foremost Japanese contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara, who endorses this show’s objectives. The exhibition takes its title from a poem by Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, who in late 2023 was killed in an Israeli airstrike, and whose work is featured here.
Also highlighted is Sliman Mansour, who has for many years been a leading light on the Palestinian art scene. He founded the League of Palestinian Artists in 1973, and was later active in the New Visions Movement which saw local artists boycott Israeli-sourced supplies in favour of locally produced materials. Mansour’s work frequently depicts the landscapes of Palestine and individuals in traditional dress, and here he contributes prints which honour the Palestinian people’s decades of suffering and resistance.
Poetry meanwhile comes from Mosab Abu Toha, who was born and raised in a Gaza refugee camp. Toha has been immersed in the world of poetry since his youth, and his 2022 collection of poems entitled ‘Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza’ has been awarded both the American Book Award and the Palestine Book Award.
Curator Visch himself, whose anthropomorphic and abstract sculptures have been featured in such prestigious events as the Venice Biennale, contributes both drawings and sculptures, while Nara presents some brand-new works. Rounding out this stirring and thought-provoking collection of work is a selection of ‘Posters for Gaza’ created by various contemporary artists.