In solidarity with the autonomy and freedom demanded by the Palestinian people, we invite artist Ahlam Shibli (Palestine, 1970) to present the photographic work she has been developing about the reconstruction of the identity of this population, in the face of the occupation and militarization that caused the Palestinian exodus and is the main cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict. 

Faced with the failure of international politics and the dehumanization of the media, Ahlam Shibli's documentary aesthetic presents itself as a tool for critical reflection and a form of resistance. By juxtaposing records of colonial expropriation, social exclusion, family deprivation and socio-sexual alienation, which characterize the living conditions of Palestinians, and expanding them to other geopolitical and social contexts, Ahlam Shibli summons a new generation to intervene and become aware of a repressive imperialist and colonial construction with humanly devastating consequences. If the devastation is intended to cause paralysis, the dialectic and constant journey between places, times and experiences is revealing of her photographic perception, not as a document tied to a unique and singular reading, but as a moment capable of identifying other and different perspectives for the future.

Crediting the value of action in the cultural sphere, "Palestine Here and There" results from the invitation that Ahlam Shibli extends to Aref Massalha, Fatma Hassona, Mohamed Harb, Monter Jawabreh and Rehaf Al Batniji, to expose the importance of new and different narratives in the world's attention to the Palestinians rights and to claim change as a synonymous of the Palestinian resistance.

Parallel program:

April 11 (Friday), 4pm
Artist and curator talk at Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto, Aula Magna.