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REVIEW

'South West Bank' Reflects the Rich Legacy and Resilience of Palestinian Life and Culture

The collateral show at the Venice Biennale explores traditional agricultural practices, communal histories, and rituals as acts of preservation and resistance.
south-west-bank-venice-biennale Installation view of SOUTH WEST BANK - Landworks, Collective Action and Sound at Magazzino Gallery
by Jelena Martinović / October 28th, 2024

The relationship between Palestinians and their land is intricately woven into their identity, culture, and history. As Mahmoud Darwish poignantly wrote, “We travel like other people, but the land we carry in our blood is a land of olives and oranges, a land of memories and dreams.” This enduring bond with the land serves not only as a testament to their rich heritage but also as a powerful narrative of survival, cultural continuity, and resistance against erasure. The land stands as a potent emblem of belonging, echoing the hopes and struggles of a people determined to reclaim their narrative and assert their rightful place within it.

Against this backdrop, the exhibition SOUTH WEST BANK - Landworks, Collective Action and Sound invites viewers to reflect on the intricate ties that bind Palestinians to their homeland, illuminating the layered significance of land as a site of memory, identity, and collective action. Co-produced by the NGO Artists + Allies x Hebron (AAH) in collaboration with the Bethlehem’s independent cross-disciplinary project Dar Jacir for Art and Research, this group exhibition is on view at Magazzino Gallery as part of the collateral events programme of the 60th Venice Biennale. Curated by Jonathan Turner, the exhibition highlights process-based art by artists, collectives and allies in and around the often-overlooked southern West Bank, revealing "the strength and value of inventiveness, propositive thought, and open research in the current climate."

Dima Srouji and Jasbir Puar Untitled (Onion Masks), 2023
Dima Srouji and Jasbir Puar Untitled (Onion Masks), 2023. From the series Revolutionary Enclosures (Until the Apricots), photograph and blown glass, 93.1 x 125 cm, artist proof

The exhibition features over 20 artists and collectives from various generations, juxtaposing everyday objects like olive oil tins and wine bottles with traditional art forms, including photographs, films, writings, and textiles—all embodying acts of resistance against the decades-long violence perpetrated by Israel across the occupied territories. "The different artists themselves very clearly convey the close connections between the shifting landscape in Palestine and their own artistic practice," Turner explains. As he adds, some artists make these links clear through videos and photographs that document plots of land in the South West Bank, both in their natural state and altered by conflict.

The team adopted a practical, hands-on approach, aiming "to show that even humble gestures can convey powerful symbolism." This is reflected in Vivian Sansour's six-month long project Home (2018) at Dar Jacir for Art and Research in Bethlehem and Mohammad Saleh's Ardawa (2023), video excerpts from the first blog in Arabic on bio-remediation, a farming operation free from harmful chemicals.

Sansour reclaimed the concept of home by planting a terrace at Dar Jacir with mloukheyeh, a Palestinian comfort food. Over the course of six months, the project saw the preparation, planting, cultivation and harvesting of crops from the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, preserving traditional farming practices and stories associated with them. Similarly, Saleh cultivated another terrace to heal the land after his Urban Garden was burned by the Israeli Army in 2021. Working on a plot in Bethlehem, scarred by decades of pollution and violence, he documented his work in a blog on permaculture and sustainable gardening, exploring ways to heal the land and nurture a harmonious relationship with it.

Vivien Sansour Home, 2018, 2 photographs by Vivien Sansour, Awad Hamad. Seed packets from the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library.
Vivien Sansour Home, 2018, 2 photographs by Vivien Sansour, Awad Hamad. Seed packets from the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library.

The exhibition embodies the idea that ‘home’ is deeply rooted in traditional practices, echoing Adriano Pedrosa's theme, Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere. The Palestinian connection with the land has been forged over centuries through practices like olive and orange farming, which date back to pre-Ottoman times and continue to sustain livelihoods despite the challenges of the ongoing occupation. However, these traditions are under constant threat, as the occupation has led to land dispossession, restricted access to water resources, and the destruction of farmlands. The Israeli military's expansion of settlements and infrastructure has further fragmented agricultural land, making it increasingly difficult for Palestinian farmers to maintain their livelihoods.

The exhibition highlights land as a repository of memories, traditions, and identities cultivated over generations, where continued efforts to tend to it become a potent emblem of resistance. The works evoke a sense of place, emphasizing that, despite the turmoil surrounding them, the bonds to their land remain unbreakable. Another significant aspect of the exhibition is the idea of collective action as a means of survival and empowerment. The artists featured illustrate how collaborative practices can foster a sense of community, enabling individuals to engage with their environment and each other in meaningful ways.

As Turner explains, "a common thread is the attention to traditional agricultural practices, the recording of endangered livelihoods, and how cultivation can embrace both the rituals of planting and harvesting, and culture itself." This is exemplified in the olive oil produced under duress in the South West Bank by Baha Hilo and the Philokalia wine crafted by Sari Khoury, underscoring "their tenacity in making sure that despite reduced yields, they continue to work the land." As Turner adds, "this helps to bind the community together."

The exhibition blurs the lines between art, life, and heritage by integrating agricultural goods like olive oil and wine, enhancing the storytelling of Palestinian identity and struggles. Khoury’s Philokalia wine serves as a small-scale monument to resilience, highlighting cultural continuity amid destruction. As Turner notes, many vines were crushed by boulders when the Israeli military built an access road for settlers, yet some rare varietals grew back, allowing Khoury to produce 3,492 bottles of Philokalia white wine in 2021. "In itself, such storytelling strengthens the sense of heritage," Turner adds.

The exhibition highlights the olive tree as a powerful symbol of Palestinian identity, culture, and resistance, a theme beautifully explored in Adam Broomberg's and Rafael Gonzalez's work, Anchor in the Landscape, N31°31.4634’ E035°06.2059’ (2023). Olive trees, cultivated for thousands of years, support the livelihoods of over 100,000 Palestinian families and serve as a cornerstone of tradition and identity, yet they face relentless destruction. Broomberg and Gonzalez have documented these iconic yet precarious trees across the Occupied Territories, including the AlBadawi tree, which is over 4,500 years old, highlighting their role as steadfast markers in a landscape fraught with conflict.

Similarly, Jumana Manna's Foragers (2022) explores the complexities of foraging for wild edible plants in disputed territories, blending fiction, documentary, and archival footage. The film highlights tensions from Israeli nature protection laws that restrict collecting native plants like ’akkoub and za’atar. It reveals how these restrictions threaten traditional practices and alienate Palestinians from their land, prompting reflections on the politics of preservation and the resilience of cultural heritage amid systemic challenges. As Turner points, "exile and extinction are recurring themes."

Adam Rouhana, A Lion’s Watermelon, 2024
Adam Rouhana, A Lion’s Watermelon, 2024, أسد بطیخة. photograph, 66 x 52,8 cm

By incorporating dance, sound, and music alongside food rituals, the exhibition powerfully conveys the richness of Palestinian culture and heritage. These elements not only serve as vital vehicles for storytelling but also enable the transmission of traditions and memories that have shaped collective identity. They connect viewers to the lived experiences of Palestinians, highlighting resilience and joy in the face of adversity.

Turner notes a desire to highlight community-building processes through dance workshops, performances, and musical pieces staged in Palestine and southern Italy, led by Emily Jacir, Andrea De Siena, and other art professionals. Over six years, they have developed a network to explore the shared Mediterranean heritage of dabka and pizzica folk dance, intertwining musical and agrarian traditions. This connection emphasizes the gestures linked to the relationship between the body, the land, and memory.

Food rituals, particularly those surrounding the preparation and sharing of traditional dishes, further reinforce social bonds and a sense of community, as they celebrate heritage through shared experiences. In this context, Shayma Hamad's performance invites the audience to explore the intersection of mourning and food rituals, emphasizing how communal practices—such as kneading dough—serve as acts of remembrance and comfort for the bereaved. By intertwining the act of digging with the rituals of prayer and remembrance, Hamad highlights the profound connections between grief, memory, and the land.

Shayma Hamad, Dough Ball, 2024
Shayma Hamad, Dough Ball, 2024. Performance and ingredients, size variable

The exhibition highlights the importance of transnational collaboration and cross-cultural artistic exchanges, showcasing how artists from diverse backgrounds come together to explore shared histories and collective memories. This collaborative spirit fosters a rich dialogue that transcends geographical boundaries, allowing for a deeper understanding of cultural practices and the resilience of communities involved. As Turner explains, transnationalism is inherent to Palestine, with several artists noting that "it has always been a part of our lives."

Our exhibition is truly transnational, in that some of these projects have been conceived in one country, realized in another with help from diverse participants and then exhibited and elaborated elsewhere. This creates a dialogue spoken with different accents and languages, and this broadens our understanding of how important such exchanges can be. 

He notes that while it is impossible to predict "how forcefully a statement might be perceived or how powerfully an artistic phrase might resonate," many viewers have engaged with these subtleties of expression. Many were inspired to share "about their family garden when they were growing up, or their grandmother's recipes, or how an image triggered a memory from childhood," fostering instant solidarity through "the shared respect for the best of human nature and a generosity of spirit." This sense of community is also reflected in Michael Rakowitz's 2024 masgouf barbecue installation, titled On the question of making art in cities under siege: exploring the intersection of hospitality and hostility, where the gathering of cooking utensils symbolizes the birth of a community.

Turner also highlights the sense of pure delight conveyed in Adam Rouhana’s work. Rouhana’s portrait, A Lion’s Watermelon (2024), captures a youth alone on a dusty plot of land, eyes closed, savoring a large chunk of fresh watermelon, embodying feelings of sustenance and hope. Rouhana finds inspiration in his early memories in Palestine, particularly scenes from his grandmother’s fruit orchard and domestic life, seeking to decolonizes the visual portrayal of Palestine by directly confronting the politics of representation. As the artist explains, this particular body of work "looks at the current moment in Palestine — the moment before we are free from Israeli Apartheid."

Within the unpretentious space of Magazzino Gallery, we are confronted by stories of loss and sorrow but also of joy, resistance, resilience, and hope amidst adversity, underscoring the complexity of the Palestinian experience. SOUTH WEST BANK emerges as a powerful call to action, inviting us to listen, learn, and reflect on our shared humanity and the urgent need for solidarity.

The exhibition SOUTH WEST BANK - Landworks, Collective Action and Sound will be on view at Magazzino Gallery on the ground floor of Palazzo Contarini-Polignac until November 24th, 2024.

Mohammad Saleh, Ardawa, June 30, 2023, photograph by Emily Jacir, 74.4 x 100 cm and video excerpts from the first blog in Arabic on bio-remediation; Duncan Campbell and Samer Barbari, Nothing Impossible, 2018. Video, 4'12
Mohammad Saleh, Ardawa, June 30, 2023, photograph by Emily Jacir, 74.4 x 100 cm and video excerpts from the first blog in Arabic on bio-remediation; Duncan Campbell and Samer Barbari, Nothing Impossible, 2018. Video, 4'12" Diary of a car (documentation of Nothing impossible) 2018-2023, 12 photographs by Duncan Campbell and Emily Jacir, 10 x 15 cm each


Installation view of SOUTH WEST BANK - Landworks, Collective Action and Sound at Magazzino Gallery
On the wall: Adam Broomberg and Rafael Gonzalez, Anchor in the Landscape, N31°44.3416’ E035°09.4615’, 2023. Photograph, 190 x 152 cm; Emily Jacir, Untitled family archive, Bethlehem, 2007. Scanned glass plate negative, 69.8 x 100 cm; Emily Jacir and Andrea De Siena Paesaggio Umano, 2022. Video; On the floor: Michael Rakowitz, On the question of making art in cities under siege: exploring the intersection of hospitality and hostility, 2018-2024. Masgouf grill installation, cooking utensils, sand, size variable; Emily Jacir, Bethlehem Street Corner, 1998. 10 keffiyehs, 10 Kurt Cobain t-shirts, 16.5 x 44.5 x 33 cm


Emily Jacir, Untitled family archive, Bethlehem, 2007
Emily Jacir, Untitled family archive, Bethlehem, 2007. Scanned glass plate negative, 69.8 x 100 cm


Emily Jacir, Bethlehem Street Corner, 1998
Emily Jacir, Bethlehem Street Corner, 1998. 10 keffiyehs, 10 Kurt Cobain t-shirts, 16.5 x 44.5 x 33 cm