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The 53rd
International Arts Exhibit, the Venice Biennale, opened this week in Venice with a first of its kind Palestinian participation,
a joint exhibit entitled "Palestine c/o Venice." The Palestinian
exhibit was inaugurated by HE Leila Shahid, Palestine's
Ambassador to Belgium
and Ms. Luisa Morgantini, Vice-President of the European Parliament.
Seven
Palestinian artists were commissioned to create new artworks that correspond to
the Palestinian social, cultural and political realities and address local and
international themes, i.e., create artworks that represent Palestinian issues
within an international artistic discourse. The resulting artworks utilized various
techniques, including sound and multimedia installations, artworks within a
specific space, animated movies, photography and videotaping. The themes also
varied, corresponding to the spirit of the international exhibit and creatively
addressing the concept of dialogue of cultures.
The artworks
presented in this event reflect a remarkable Palestinian presence. In his work,
artist Khalil Rabah seeks to revive the geography of fifty Palestinian
villages. Artist Taysir Batniji from Gaza
presented a portrait of local flowers that artistically raises several deep
questions ranging between reality and dream. The artwork by artist Emily Jacir
takes us to the history of Venice as a contact
point between Europe and Arabs. Sandi Hilal
from Bethlehem and Alessandro Petti from Italy presented a portrait titled "Ramallah Syndrome,"
discussing the perception of freedom in Ramallah City.
The panoramic artwork of Jawad Al-Malhi reflects different sides of Shufat
refugee camp, shedding light on the realities of Palestinian lives under the
Israeli occupation.
In celebration
of the Palestinian participation in this important exhibit, six arts centers in
Jerusalem and the West Bank
are displaying replicas of the artworks parallel to their presentation in the Venice
Biennale, which will last through 30 September 2009. The Palestinian
participation comes as a result of years of relentless efforts by Salwa Mikdadi,
Vittorio Urbani and Rana Sadik with major support from Welfare Association, the
Khaled Shoman Foundation / Darat Al Funun (A Home for the Arts) and members of
the Palestinian community in Europe.
Dr. Attalla
Shafiq Kuttab, Director General of Welfare Association, expressed satisfaction
with this achievement by the Palestinian art. "This event is a unique
opportunity for Palestine
to record its presence through an exceptional first participation that has made
a notable impact on both visitors and participants in the exhibit," he said.
"We in Welfare Association seek to support such efforts as part of our mission.
We would like to see this creative work reach beyond geographical borders and
constraints imposed by the occupation. We would like to see it continue and
communicate with the world using art as a high-ranking global mission and a
unified and unrestricted language."
To access photos of the participating
Palestinian artworks, follow this link:
www.palestinecoveniceb09.org/press_access_images.html
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