Exhibition of artists from communities near Gaza opens in Jaffa — Jerusalem Post
In Jaffa, Israel, the group exhibition “Voices from the Gaza Borderlands” opened at the Amiad Center on September 14. It features more than 200 works by around 75 artists, mainly from communities in the south of the country near the border with the Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The exhibition is curated by Iris Elhanani. The project was initiated by the Gershoni Foundation in cooperation with the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council and the Sha’ar HaNegev Community Center. According to the curator, the Tel Aviv municipality provided the exhibition space free of charge. The exhibition will run until October 3; the program includes a conversation with former hostage Aviva Siegel, music and dance events, and film screenings.
Personal stories in the works
Among the participants is Shosh Segev, an interdisciplinary artist from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She said that on October 7, 2023, a tree fell onto the balcony of her home and blocked the rear glass door. According to her, this prevented Hamas militants from entering the house from the back, which is why she calls it the “Tree of Life.”
After the attack, Segev, her husband, and other families from Kfar Aza have been living in Kibbutz Shefayim. The exhibition features her acrylic paintings and papier-mâché figures made in bright colors. The artist said she cannot work while depressed and returns to creating when her mood improves.
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Trauma, memory, and recovery
Artist Daniel Ohana from Sderot presented paintings featuring a goat, which he considers a symbol of resilience in difficult conditions. Limor Klein Tivoli showed a series of embroidered insignia titled “Where Did You Serve?” The works were created under the influence of testimonies from female service members who took part in fighting Hamas militants on October 7 and immediately afterward.
Yaffa Solomon presented an installation of ceramic red anemones on metal stems. Her project is connected with the memory of the victims of the attack and the places where she installed thousands of the anemones she created, including at the Nova festival site and on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Artist Brit Einstein from Kibbutz Magen returned to the south after evacuation to work on a tractor, and later turned photographs of furrows in fields into a series of monochrome paintings.
The exhibition also includes works by Aviv Atzili, Haim Perry, Roy Idan, Eliko Reichenstein, and Yuval Revi — artists who, according to the curator, were killed on October 7. Their works are displayed alongside those of artists who continue to create.
