Gaza Biennial: an art show to resist war

Palestinian artists propose holding the Gaza Biennial, an event that will exhibit their art as an “act of rebellion” against the constant Israeli attacks. The initiative will bring together around 50 creators from the coastal strip.
The project emerged as an imitation of the art biennials in Venice, “where the most important works in the world that speak about current issues through artistic creation are highlighted,” said Tasneem Shatat, a 26-year-old who has promoted the initiative, to The Guardian. This event is intended as a “test of artistic life, to counterbalance the attempts to strip the humanity of the inhabitants of Gaza,” and is the product of the conversation of fellow artists who inquired about how to make art in a context of war and hunger.
According to The Guardian, only a quarter of the artists have managed to emigrate to Egypt, while the rest will try to send their pieces through humanitarian corridors, through photographs or with the support of artists in the West Bank to reconstruct their art from a distance. They also report that the organizers are currently looking for art galleries that will host this initiative.
This search is not only limited to the territories near Palestine, but is a “call to art institutes around the world,” the organizers mention in a crowdfunding campaign. They emphasize that these funds will go to the participating artists and the promotion of their works, tasks that they are already doing with limited funds.
The organizers of the biennial were optimistic, since if they find a host, it could be an “unprecedented event in modern times,” in addition to the fact that “the artists’ work will see the light, crossing borders, barriers and laws to reach the eyes of the world. That is the power of art,” Shatat told The Guardian.
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