The Line – Stories from PalestineThe Line – Stories from Palestine

I 2012 fikk jeg plass som deltaker på en internasjonal kunstnerworkshop i Ramallah, Palestina. Dessverre avslo Israel visumsøknadene til alle deltakerne fra arabiske land, noe som førte til at workshopen ble avlyst. Da jeg ikke kunne avbestille flybilletten og hadde satt av tre uker, valgte jeg å reise uansett.

Alicja Dobrucka, kunstfotograf fra Polen, valgte det samme. Under våre reiser på Vestbredden sammen ble vi gode venner og våre veier har siden krysset hverandre ulike steder i Europa.

Et av stedene vi besøkte var Susya. I området er det både en israelsk bosetting og det som er igjen av en palestinsk landsby, sistnevnte med røtter tilbake til 1830.

De palestinske hjemmene som ligger under konstant trussel om nedriving er kamuflerte som telt for å virke midlertidige og mindre truende. Alicjas fotografier fra dette området har nå blitt til utstillingen Houses (31°23′30.67″N 35°6′44.45″E). Utstillingen åpner på Rodriguez Gallery i Poznan, Polen den 15. april. Og dagen etter, den 16., har jeg blitt bedt om å fortelle historier fra Palestina etter Alicjas Artist Talk.

The Line – Stories from Palestine vil dra veksler på våre opplevelser fra Vestbredden og lokale folkeeventyr:

In connection with Alicja’s exhibition, Torgrim will share stories from their experiences, from the people they met, from the legends of the soil and the longings of the soul. Tales on the borderline between reality and fiction, freedom and occupation, hatred and love. How does art express itself when surrounded by walls?

Er du i Poznan den 16., kan du gjerne stikke innom. Hvis ikke, kan du også lese mine betraktninger fra oppholdet på Vestbredden i disse tre bloggpostene:

The Line
Ghouls and Good Hearts
Settlers and Barbarians

In 2012 I was accepted as a participant at an international artist’s workshop in Ramallah, Palestine. Unfortunately Israel did not approve the visa applications of all participants from Arab countries, which led to the workshop being cancelled.

Being unable to cancel my plane ticket and with three weeks to spare, I chose to travel anyway.

Alicja Dobrucka, Polish photographer, made the same choice. Travelling the West Bank together we became good friends and since our paths have crossed again in different parts of Europe.

One of the sites we visited was Susya. In this area there is both an Israeli settlement and what’s left of a Palestinian village, the latter with roots tracing back to 1830.

The Palestinian homes are under constant threat of demolition and are camouflaged as tents to seem temporary and unthreatening. Alicja’s photos from this area has now become the exhibition Houses (31°23′30.67″N 35°6′44.45″E). The exhibition is hosted by Rodriguez Gallery in Poznan, Poland on the 15th of April. And on the 16th I have been asked to tell stories from Palestine after Alicja’s Artist Talk.

The Line – Stories from Palestine will explore our experiences on the West Bank as well as excerpts from local fairy tales:

In connection with Alicja’s exhibition, Torgrim will share stories from their experiences, from the people they met, from the legends of the soil and the longings of the soul. Tales on the borderline between reality and fiction, freedom and occupation, hatred and love. How does art express itself when surrounded by walls?

If you happen to be in Poznan on the 16th, you’re more than welcome to pop by! If not, you can also read my earlier blog posts from my stay on the West Bank here:

The Line
Ghouls and Good Hearts
Settlers and Barbarians