Arab-Israeli conflict Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

1948 134 M a t e r i a l s In many cases, the engagement with material is the basis for the creation of an artwork-whether in two-dimensional works such as paintings or photographs, or in three-dimensional ones, such as sculptures. These works usually express, in an artistic manner, the tragic nature of the present, depicting an endless historical struggle. The reconstruction of the past is often related to present reality in works by both Israeli and Palestinian artists. For example, we often find in these works images of weapons, such as tanks and other military tools. These are created by using mortar, sand, straw, plaster, and other materials. Notable in this context is the unique work by Farid Abu Shakra, who creates weapons in mortar and mixed media. These are placed within boxes, like children's toys offered for sale. Similarly, Asad Azi engages with materials as part of a two-dimensional painting enclosed in a prominent frame, to which he adds dentelles and fabrics that conceal part of the work. Azi toys with the viewer, who tries to reach the heart of the work, by concealing more than two thirds of it beneath a cloth curtain. He treats the elements of his work with much delicacy and eloquence, seeking to locate it in the Western artistic tradition, on the one hand, and that of Arab civilization, on the other hand. In addition, the work is informed by Azi's personal history. Here, the central figure wears a turban from the Ottoman period, symbolizing the dignitaries among the Arab residents considered "Westernized")franji(, thereby recreating the face of pre-1948 Palestine. Building materials such as bricks or concrete have also become widespread in the works of both Palestinian and Jewish artists, particularly in sculptures and installations. Mahmood Kaiss, for example, reproduced a 1939 Palestinian coin in concrete, immortalizing the historical memory of Palestine in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew, and English. Jewish-Israeli artist Amir Tomashov created a decorative circle out of bricks, surrounding it with barbed wire, as an expression of the exclusion, discrimination, and isolation that he sees in present-day Israel. Manal Mahmid uses accumulated concrete-a material that is by nature inflexible-to create layers of colors and shapes, instead of using paints and brushes. She thereby recreates the story of most young Arabs in Israel)including her brother(, who make their living in construction and concrete casting in order to build a state for new Jewish immigrants-a state that is not theirs. In this work Mahamid creates a very inflexible structure that conceals layers of houses that were once full of life, of which nothing remains except a memory in the artist's mind. She does not show these signs of life; rather, she raises questions regarding the character of this country and the concept of a homeland, eliciting feelings of anger at the present reality. In the exposed layer of her work nothing remains but the number 1948, prominently seen through the layers of hard concrete like an inscription on a tombstone concealing the corpse of a homeland-Palestine. In this work, entitled The Year 1948, Mahamid reconstructs a comprehensive memory of the events of the Nakba and the loss and destruction of Palestinian homes. In conclusion, choosing the title "1948" for the exhibition is a courageous step in these turbulent times, not to mention the combination of Jewish and Arab artists in this thematic framework. A work of art is not a substitute for reality, but an interpretation of events and developments that have indeed occurred. These interpretations, which reflect the results of events in the artist's spiritual world, become part of a new reality of a different kind. D r. H o u s n i A l k h a t e e b S h e h a d a is senior lecturer and head of the department of visual art at the Levinsky College of Education in Tel Aviv. His research covers the history of the medieval Islamic world, classical Arabic literature and modern Palestinian art.