The gallery space additionally features a series of video interviews made on a Hi8 camcorder, ‘Mothers of Martyrs’, as well as a bloodstained t-shirt of a grieving father, Kosay’s dad, which proposes a tangible understanding of the loss pictured. “By focusing on individual narratives, Khader creates a bridge between personal tragedy and collective memory,” continues Musa.
“Aya’s like a big brother to me,” the photographer notes separately, reflecting on how the collaboration shaped the exhibition. “So I felt very comfortable working with Foam. It’s a Western museum, and I was scared [initially] that it was going to be a battle – how many times do you see an exhibition from this perspective?”
Indeed, in a moment when countless museums and galleries across Europe and America are silencing artists who display support for a free Palestine, the significance of this show is heightened. In part, considers Khader, his invitation to exhibit is a by-product of his nomination from Magnum Photos – last July he became the first Palestinian photographer selected to join the historic photo agency since it was established in Paris in 1947.
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“I’m really honoured to be part of Magnum, but it’s also a win for them because the world I see, the world I walk in, is different than [that of] most Magnum photographers,” says Khader, alluding to his Middle Eastern identity. “If you look at the work Magnum has done in America for example, it portrays America as it is. And that’s the win for Magnum having me, showing Palestine from within. I’m capturing history, working with people for long periods. My work is focused on life and death, that’s what I’m trying to contribute: showing us alive, showing the pain we endure, the injustice happening in our region, but also the strength of the people living through everything. There’s a lot of sadness, but also little moments of joy.”
