Gaza artists' work showcased globally, Sarajevo exhibition highlighted

Director Oliver Frljić engaged in a discussion with German curator Gabriela Manda Seith about the creation of art amidst political violence, with a specific focus on the Gaza Biennale. The conversation, organized by Udruga Domino, took place in Zagreb and delved into the challenges faced by artists in conflict zones.

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Shatat was surprised when she discovered how many of her colleagues were still trying to find ways to continue the artistic practice they had before the genocide began, so in collaboration with the Museum, she came up with the idea of launching the Gaza Biennale.

Seith described the Gaza Biennale as a unique platform initiated by artists from Gaza, aiming to continue artistic practice despite ongoing conflict. Due to the inability of artworks to leave Gaza, the biennale's concept was reinterpreted. Instead of a centralized exhibition, it manifested through solidarity pavilions in various cities worldwide, including Berlin, Istanbul, New York, and Athens. Each pavilion creatively reconstructed the art pieces based on available information.

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This platform completely overturned the concept of the biennale and ironically winked at the Venice Biennale, the most important event in contemporary art that gathers audiences in one place, because the Gaza Biennale did just the opposite: it dispersed around the world through pavilions created in solidarity with Gaza.

Notably, Sarajevo emerged as a distinct location for the Gaza Biennale. Seith emphasized that unlike other cities where the biennale was hosted in smaller, independent spaces, Sarajevo welcomed it within its main art institutions, such as the National Gallery and the Museum of War Childhood. This integration was partly due to the city's own historical experience with siege and conflict.

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Due to the experience of genocide 30 years ago, people came to the biennale carrying their own memories of the siege of Sarajevo, which they shared with other visitors, which is precisely why I included works by Sarajevo artists in the exhibition.

Seith, whose doctoral research focused on Sarajevo's wartime art, explained that the inclusion of works by Sarajevo artists in the exhibition was a significant exception. She noted that while other pavilions exclusively featured artists from Gaza, the local context in Sarajevo prompted the inclusion of pieces reflecting the city's siege experience, a proposal readily accepted by the Gaza artists. This approach allowed visitors in Sarajevo to connect the contemporary struggles of Gazan artists with their own historical memories of conflict.

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It was a big exception because in all other pavilions, only artists from Gaza were presented, but when I explained to them what happened during the siege of Sarajevo and suggested that works from that period also be exhibited, they gladly agreed.