Articles
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2008, page 50
Music & Arts
“Palestine in Paris” Celebrates Palestinian Arts and Culture
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THE ART AND cultural event “Palestine à Paris” (Palestine in Paris) was held in the French capital May 15 through July 13. Mrs. Hind Khoury, general delegate for Palestine in Paris, organized the tour de force in order to showcase the works of Palestinian artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and photographers. Enjoying the enthusiastic support of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë and his office, many organizations assisted in the presentation, including the Maison des Métallos, the Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Institut du Monde Arabe, and Galerie Crous Beaux Arts.
On the Pont des Arts (Bridge of Arts), Michket Krifa curated an exhibition entitled “Palestine, life as it is,” featuring the photographs of Jerusalem-born Rula Halawani and Gaza-born Taysir Batjniji.
A few blocks away at the Galerie Crous Beaux Arts, “Stand by,” Hani Zurob’s exhibition of paintings, was on display. The venerable Institut du Monde Arabe presented a myriad of Palestine-related events, including Maryse Garg’s film “The Land Speaks Arabic”; a conference on “1948: Palestinian Memory and Identity”; a recital of Palestinian poems; a musical event by Adel Salameh and Naziha Azzouz; and a play by the Palestinian theater group Friends of Al Rowwad.
Across town, the Institut des Cultures d’Islam hosted lectures and films, as well as a contemporary art exhibition featuring the works of five young Palestinians from Gaza: Hani Zurob, Nawras Shalhoub, Mohamed Joha, Shadi Al Zaqzouq, and Hazem Harb.
The Maison des Métallos presented films, videos, photographs, installation art, and textiles of artists aged 25 to 35 living in Gaza or the West Bank. Titled “Cactus Juice, Another View on Palestine,” the works depicted scenes showing the harsh reality of daily life for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories. Jumana Abboud, Nahed Awwad, Shuruq Harb, Sharif Waked Mohanad Yaqoubi, Mohamed Abu Sall, Jawad El Malhi, Tina Sherwell, Samuel Albaric, Ala Abu Ghoush and Dima Abu Ghoush contributed works to the exhibit.
—Elaine Pasquini
