There is no neutrality in art. Creativity is part of the political essence of humanity. The central work of my art exhibition is a 1.60 x 3.00-meter installation, consisting of 78 pieces—one for each year of the illegal and violent occupation of Palestine by the enemies… of stone, of the tree, of humanity, and… of the sun. The idea for the work had been fixed in my mind for quite some time. Its realization and the technical difficulties I faced had a psychotherapeutic effect on me. It somewhat soothed the trauma of suffocation caused by the Genocide in Gaza and the violent displacements, the uprooting of Palestinians in the West Bank. Crimes that have been systematically committed for over 78 years.
Palestine is the Lighthouse of Humanity. The dignity of the Palestinian people, their perseverance, and their deep love for their ancestral land leave no room for doubt. This inspired me to clearly declare through my work that Palestine belongs to the Palestinians.
As an artist who has been censored along with thousands of others over the past three years, the only thing I know is that the art I serve gives substance to whatever is being silenced. It is political. It is what keeps me alive, allowing me to breathe.
Although it is not customary to begin an invitation with a word of thanks, in this case it could not be otherwise, as my art exhibition will be graced by the presence of some truly remarkable individuals whom I greatly admire.
I would like to express my warmest thanks and deepest gratitude to:
- The Municipality of Halandri for granting me the use of the Halandri Youth Center to hold my exhibition, and for all the support I have received; I would especially like to thank the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Ms. Christina Machaira, and the Department of Culture.
- The Palestinian Community of Greece for their unwavering support
- The Cultural Network for Palestine for their unwavering support
- BDS Greece
- AFZ Greece
- The March 8 Assembly
- The Association of Friends of West Asia
- The group “For the Children of Palestine”
- Palestinian poet and director of the Athens Palestinian Film Festival, Carol Sansour
- Nikolaos Kosmatopoulos, PhD in Anthropology and associate professor in the departments of Political Science and Anthropology at the American University of Beirut.
- Kostas Raptis, journalist and political analyst.
- Lambrini Thoma, journalist and political analyst
- Panagiotis Papadomanolakis, journalist covering international current affairs and analysis with a focus on the issue of imperialism and the struggles of peoples against it.
- Roni Bou Saba, researcher and translator
- Natasha-Faye Kosmidou, actress and director
- Elahé Amiripour
- Ali Karaji
- Nabil el Saeg, a musician from Syria
- Syrian conductor Elias Semaan
- The Masar Choir
- The musicians Christiana Soul & Biko
- The musicians Marina Vouloudaki & Spiridon Lefkofridi
- The musicians’ initiative “Music Against Silence.”
- The musicians Michalis and Pantelis Kalogerakis
- The Greek-Palestinian visual artist, performer, and filmmaker Doris Hakim
- Elias Skylakos, writer and journalist at the Athens and Macedonian wordpress
- The painter Emilios Agoros
- My dear friend Konstantinos Tsoutsis, who designed my posters with great patience!
- Themida and Evangelia for their warm embrace, warmth, and generosity!
