The Electronic Intifada 29 September 2014
Israel’s bombing in Gaza this summer killed 2,131 Palestinians and destroyed or severely damaged 18,000 housing units, according to the United Nations monitoring group OCHA.
Artists’ responses to war can give direct, personal testimony to historic events.
Mohammed Al Hawajri, Raed Issa and Dina Matar, members of a group for contemporary art in the Gaza Strip called Eltiqa, reflect on life in time of war.
Their art gives another insight into Gaza beyond the redundant and superficial imagery offered by the news media.
These artists re-establish the relationship between objects and memory, and the social aspects that these objects represent.
They are committed to investigating the significance of “home,” “country” and “resistance” in their future works.
And they are a reminder that while Israel destroys, Palestinians will continue to create.
Linda Paganelli is a visual anthropologist based in Palestine. Her work tackles issues around on human rights, minorities and groups existing outside of mainstream society.
