Palestinian and Israeli Art against 'Unhealthy Wall'

March 2005 -

The barrier of a wall that is hundreds of kilometres long, which is currently being built by Israel on the West Bank, seriously threatens the health of the Palestinians in that area. Poor accessibility, for example, interferes with relief organizations’ work. Moreover, the safety barrier causes mental health problems. Say the Palestinian Red Crescent, Physicians for Human Rights from Israel and Médecins du Monde from France. Since mid February they have been campaigning against the wall and the fence together with prominent Palestinian and Israeli artists.

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'People in Israel and Palestine are already bombarded with information about the conflict,' says Anna Miranda Scholten of Médecins du Monde. 'In order to attract their attention, we have chosen art as our communication tool.' At the request of the organisers, twelve artists portray digital artworks that express their critical view on the barrier. The participants’ commitment is not only shown in their creations but also in the fact that they are not paid for their contributions to the project. The Israeli photographer Miki Kratsman and the Palestinian photographer and painter Amer Derbas are the project’s curators. They have put together a brochure including pictures of the works of art and background information.

This campaign in Israel and the occupied territories started with the launch of a website and a publication in the newspapers Ha’ir and Al Quds. In the spring, the protest campaign will continue as a travelling exhibition to Paris, London, Amsterdam and possibly other European cities .

Despite international protests, the Israeli government have recently decided to continue construction work on the barrier, be it over a shorter distance.

Rolf Bartels