A Palestinian Archive
Exhibition: U3 – 10th Triennial of Contemporary Art, Ljubljana
Curator: Tevž Logar
Technical data: display of selected archive items, photographs, books, maps, text statements, objects, computer with access to the digital archive, video, Letter to visitors, Colophon.
Workshop: Activating A Palestine Archive. Participants: Antonella Vitale, Irena Wölle, Špela Drašlar, Vibeke Frost Andersen, Vid Godec. Auction of one edition of the Palestine Archive to collect money for the kids in Gaza. Auctioneer: Goran Medjugorac.
A Palestinian Archive presents documentation of a research project performed between 2015 and 2017 as participation at the 5th Riwaq Biennial in Palestine, curated by Tirdad Zolghadr.
"My travels to Palestine were unforgettable experiences that profoundly shaped my perception of the world and my practice. I came to a stark realisation of my position as an artist, an outsider who cannot speak for the locals. This awareness made me hypersensitive to the blindness and hypocrisy of European governments, who turned a blind eye to the silent but ongoing repression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state. I felt utterly powerless, useless, and unproductive as a person and an artist. Despite these feelings of powerlessness, I was determined to continue my research."
Letter to visitors
The archive I present is about visiting Palestine between 2015 and 2017. It talks about the beauty of this land and the immense hospitality of its people. It is a modest personal archive, messy, maybe even chaotic, full of questions and delusions. As such, it reflects my own understanding, not only of this country but also of its important role in today's divided world.
I found myself in Palestine as a visitor and observer, a tourist who knows very little and understands even less what is happening around her. As part of the Riwaq Biennale, I wanted to bring more and more people with me to Palestine, fellow travellers who would carry the voice of this land and its people to the wider world.
I invite you to browse the archive, view the visual material, and read any selected texts.