THE BATEEKHA PROJECT
28 artists. One symbol. A collection of Bateekha sculptures reimagined in support of Healing for Gaza. Live auction - all proceeds go to @healing_for_gaza
Silence for Gaza is a handcrafted fiberglass cast of the watermelon, a global symbol of Palestinian solidarity and resistance since the Six-Day War in 1967 when public displays of the Palestinian flag were banned. Through a process of making I wanted to show the reality of life for the Palestinian people in Gaza today and the destruction of their homeland. A visual field of instablility surrounds the Bateekha, where images of the war are deconstructed and reimagined, some from zoom videos I have had with a family living in Kahn Yunis, Gaza who lost one of their sons in a drone attack.
The caligraphic design on the underside moving concentrically upwards appearing as Islamic patterns are partially destroyed words referencing the poem ‘Silence for Gaza’ by the Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish and from which the title for the piece is taken.
‘Silence for Gaza’
صمت من أجل غزة
It’s the pores of her skin that speak in sweat, blood, and fires:
مسام جلدها هي التي تتكلم عرقاً ودماً وحرائق
The Bateekha Project - Silence for Gaza
The caligraphic design on the underside moving concentrically upwards appearing as Islamic patterns are partially destroyed words referencing the poem ‘Silence for Gaza’ by the Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish and from which the title for the piece is taken.
‘Silence for Gaza
صمت من أجل غزة
It’s the pores of her skin that speak in sweat, blood, and fires:
مسام جلدها هي التي تتكلم عرقاً ودماً وحرائق
