Opening:Saturday, 20.05.06 , Closing: 15.8.06

Catalogue texts: Mrs. Rim Fida and Mrs. Salwa Mikdadi

The classic Palestinian story, the Hikayah, has a beginning and an end. The featured Palestinian artists employ metaphors and symbolism in order to record fragmented memories of the as of yet unfinished story of the Palestinians. Each artist uses his own personal experience in order to interpret the collective past and in order to better understand and accept the present.

Each of the five artists is well aware of his own heritage, and their combined stories form an important part of the collective narrative. Together with other stories of artists of the same generation this narrative constitutes an important chapter in the history of the local Palestinian art.

“Sitting with the five artists, one becomes party to what is seemingly a perpetual state of conversation. Consciously, unconsciously and subconsciously, characters, events, sequences and feelings all become part of a larger story, one that goes beyond the drinking of tea and coffee and beyond mere banter. Tales of the Real and the Imagined, the Desired and the Fulfilled, all are parables when spoken with the voice of the artist.

The idea to examine the artists’ tales and look for parallels between the tales and the paintings seemed like a revelation. Here was a new tool with which one could analyse the reasons behind the use of various elements, motifs and ideas in an up close and personal sort of way. Here was a way into the artists’ minds, a veritable John Malkovich trip. We who live a in an Arabic culture should recognize that the power of our imagery is still reliant on text. In this twofold equation our culture is still dominated by narratives. The tradition of biblical parables and the power of the word in the Koran continue to extend their influences on our psyche.

A friend once told me that we can utilize the power of “ta’weel - explaining” to understand the world, but I would like to borrow this phrase and suggest that we can use the power of “ta’weel” to find meaning in the Palestinian art world. We need to open the magical gate doors, cross the ‘threshold’ into the mind of each creative individual and find solace in the answers derived from their one thousand and one hikayat.” (Rim Fida, from the catalogue of the exhibition)

On canvas, on paper or in film, the “Tales” told by the Palestinian artists translate life into forms, and these forms define the Palestinian art and serve to protect the collective Palestinian narrative. Thus it is imperative that these fragmented “Tales” are passed on and preserved.

The late Edward Said, in one of his last interviews, highlighted the importance of the Palestinian tale, the Hikayah: