Until next June 14, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) present Gaza, where life resists, an exhibition by a Gazan photographer from the UNRWA team in the Strip.
For security reasons, the author has decided to remain anonymous, a circumstance that underscores both the context in which these images were taken and the value of this visual testimony.
The exhibition brings together ten contemporary portraits of Palestinian children, women, and men who survived the Israeli offensive. Each of them is accompanied by images of personal belongings, configuring an inseparable composition between subject and object that highlights how everyday elements acquire extraordinary meaning in a context of devastation.
Among these objects are, for example, the ball of Mu’ayyad, which refers to the playgrounds and the longing for normalcy amidst destruction; the shoes of Malak, which have witnessed repeated forced displacements; or the tarp under which Mahmoud seeks shelter, a symbol of extreme precariousness and, at the same time, of the ability to adapt in the face of the loss of the family home.
After more than two and a half years of Israeli offensive, 2.1 million Palestinians survive a severe humanitarian crisis marked by resource scarcity and persistent violence. In this context, UNRWA plays an essential role as the main humanitarian agent in Gaza, ensuring fundamental services in areas such as health, education, and social assistance to hundreds of thousands of people. Its work is largely sustained by its local staff, who are made up of Palestinian refugees, most of whom are also displaced.
With this exhibition, UNRWA proposes a journey through everyday life in Gaza through the faces of its inhabitants, who have shown great resilience to sustain themselves amidst extreme conditions, while aspiring to live a dignified present and build a horizon of opportunities.
The exhibition is part of the program Cultura Viva X Palestina y UNRWA, an initiative promoted by UNRWA Spain to support Palestine through culture. From May 18 to 23, the program includes cultural activities in Madrid encompassing music, film, poetry, and art. All information is available on the website of the event.