CIVICUS discusses the Gaza Biennale project with Omaid Sharifi, president of ArtLords, a grassroots artivist collective seeking to harness the transformative power of art. ArtLords began in 2014 in Afghanistan with the vision of using the blank walls of the capital, Kabul, as canvases to paint messages of peace, hope and social change.
Palestinian artists are organising a biennale to showcase their resilience and highlight the plight of the 2.3 million people living under siege and bombardment in Gaza. They will exhibit their work in Gaza and are seeking international partners to host exhibitions abroad and help overcome the challenges of transporting art across Israeli borders. The event embodies resistance and defiance, as well as an assertion of identity and hope in the face of destruction.