ARTISTS IN THE GAZA STRIP
Can one speak about art without speaking about geopolitics? What kind of role does art play in territories under siege? Is art registering or creating movement, dissonance from what we see and experience? How can we develop modes of solidarity which promote dialogue in which new forms and values arise? Can creativity be a way of surviving violence and challenging it? Does value have geographical implications, with artists born outside Palestine being the most fortunate and artists born in the Gaza Strip the least fortunate?
The Gaza Strip, home to two million people, has come to media attention for being the scene of widespread destruction and human suffering during the past months and repeatedly during the past decades. One of the most densely populated areas globally, the enclave is entrapped in borders essentially shut. The art scene in the Gaza Strip has been deteriorating over the past 20 years due to many reasons, including imposed siege, economic recess, lack of government support, and political division.
We learn from our sister organization in Gaza, Shababeek, that the gloomy reality of the area and its deteriorating living conditions prevent young artists from pursuing a career. Many challenges and obstacles are impeding artists to publish or conduct their first art exhibition.
With this unique impromptu exhibition, we look at numerous young artists working in the region and producing work under challenging conditions. You can directly contribute work in the area with a donation or buy artworks through Shababeek, an organization supporting young and emerging artists. Shababeek champions the art movement in the Gaza Strip and introduces Gaza’s untold stories through art to the world.
For sales inquiries, please get in touch with Fotogalleriet’s Head of Exhibitions, Camilla von Køppen, at koordinator@fotogalleriet.no or +47 417 78 972.
Alaa Al-Jabari, Ali Jadallah, Amel AlNakhalh, Ayman ElHosary, Fatima Shbair, Imane AlAshhab, Khaled Jarada, Mahmoud Al koerd, Mahmoud Alhaj, Mariam Awwad, Maryam Salah, Mustafa Muhana, Omer Shala, Shaimaa Hassanein, Wael Alsous, and Yasser Qudih.
Shababeek for Contemporary Art is a space specialized in exhibiting contemporary art. It is a non-profit institution that was established in 2009 by young professional artists for other artists. It is devoted to presenting Palestinian artists residing in the Gaza Strip through both its exhibition hall and other online platforms. Shababeek introduces Palestinian art to the world in a unique and contemporary manner and works on strengthening the role of young artists in developing tools and media through active participation in exhibitions, workshops, meetings, residences, and by offering production grants.
Fotogalleriet is the first Nordic institution solely dedicated to photography as a critical art practice, located in central Oslo. Through presentations of experimental photographic practices, Fotogalleriet generates discussions about image production in today’s society. For the past five decades, Fotogalleriet has served as a discussion platform between the local and the international field and created a more accessible artistic and curatorial space.
The Norwegian Royal Ministry of Culture provides Fotogalleriet’s principal operating support; additional operational funding comes from the Norwegian Photographic Fund (Nofofo), and in part, from the Oslo Municipality. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with artist Ayman Alazraq.
