The exhibition Gaza Remains the Story is on view in the vestibule of the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova.
The exhibition was prepared by the Palestinian Museum.
GAZA REMAINS THE STORY
The exhibition covers several themes that shed light on central aspects of the history of Palestine and the Palestinian cause. It offers glimpses of Palestine's history and geography, tracing its image in the global imagination over centuries. This includes Palestine before borders, through the British military and Partition Plan under the Mandate, to its current reality: its fragmented map and the changes that comprise the history of Gaza from the time of the Canaanites, Romans, and Crusaders, all leading to the present day.
The exhibition then covers the history of the extensive wars that have devastated this land; wars that have stemmed from the political and economic ambitions of the major powers for its vast resources and cultural heritage. The latter is clear from the archaeological thefts that Palestine, Gaza in particular, have been subjected to, from the era of the British Mandate to the present day. The political repercussions thereof are reflected in the daily events comprising the lives of the Palestinian Indigenous population across the multitudinous massacres and systematic ethnic cleansing that constitute the ongoing Nakba, from the ethnic cleansing campaigns of 1948 to the current genocidal war on Gaza.
The exhibition showcases the sumood (steadfastness) of the Palestinian people by foregrounding their cultural and artistic heritage and the multifaceted expressions of their relationship with, and rootedness in, the land. A vibrant part of this heritage and roots is the development of music miming the exceptional attachment to a land they have inhabited for centuries. Palestinians have transformed music into rhythms for folk dance and dabkeh (Levantine folk dance) whose steps are inspired by a time-honoured legacy that begins with the land and ends with it. Along the way, this journey birthed tatreez (embroidery) and thobes (traditional dresses) as a love language proudly expressing images of the land through stitch motifs of cypress trees, roses, and ears of wheat. This craft is only part of the vibrant visual art scene Palestinians have created through and for the land and its natural landscapes; another dimension explored here is the rise and fall of cinema in Gaza from the 1950s to the present day.
The exhibition also touches on the agricultural history of Palestinian land in Gaza from the time of the Canaanites to the present day, sharing the most prominent farming practices and cultivated areas in the Strip. The cultivation of roses and their export is a theme through which the exhibition examines what was once for years the livelihood of Palestinians in Gaza. This beautiful trade was quashed by the occupation’s isolation of the Strip and the sundering from its natural milieu. Devastatingly, these flowers were made to die at the crossings, never to traverse the checkpoints.
At the peak of this historical juncture, and as the massacres continue to escalate in cruelty and bloodiness, the exhibition documents the series of brutal wars on Palestine since the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate, through the Naksa and the First and Second Intifadas. It also documents the series of aggressive Israeli attacks and wars on Gaza since the year 2000, ending with the prevailing genocidal war. It does so by giving an overview of the repercussions of the blockade, siege and war: namely, the starvation, killing, and displacement of more than two million Palestinians in Gaza who are still facing death, moment by moment. It tells of war in the language of those who lived it, a language that is the bedrock of the evocative stories and testimonies of the children, women, and men who lost their loved ones.
As another theme, the exhibition highlights the colonial bias of international law in favour of Israel. This also covers the use of the United States of America’s veto power in the Security Council on every resolution relating to Palestine and Israel, and the impact of this on the right of return of Palestinian refugees and the right to self-determination. The result has been a lack of Palestinian confidence in the ability of international law to implement justice. The exhibition highlights what has blossomed in its stead: an abiding hope deriving from global solidarity movements spanning the 1920s to the present day that has bolstered the Palestinian insistence on the right to life. It also highlights the role played by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the need to politically and economically isolate and sanction Israel.
In its final component, the exhibition takes a stand, emphatically stressing the importance of understanding the Palestinian cause to adopt a moral position. We are reminded that the transformations in global public opinion and the rise of solidarity with the Palestinian cause were borne from unrestricted access to knowledge. This knowledge was game-changing and, we believe, will ultimately culminate in justice and liberation for Palestinians. Through this exhibition, the free of the world are called to push for real action to achieve justice for the Palestinians, and to be inspired to visit Palestine if they can and be welcomed by us on the ground.
