Land is a source of inspiration and a spiritual, moral, and political compass that guides our movement.
It is a provider of life, renewal, and sustenance, a site of belonging and gathering, and the place to which we will Return. The olive, long a symbol of land and life, mediates our rootedness in Palestine. Land and people are inextricably linked through a symbiotic relationship embedded in ancestry, love, and reciprocity. Wherever we are, memories of our land and the practices of the Palestinian stewards who steadfastly remain there, teach us interdependence, humility, and responsibility to all forms of life, both human and non-human. We seek to sustain and flourish our land and earth, and defend it from settler-colonial theft, capitalist extraction, and ecological violence.
by Dana Barqawi
Dana Barqawi is a multidisciplinary artist and urban planner, based in Amman, Jordan. She holds a BSc in Architecture and a double MSc in International Cooperation, Urban Development & Emergency Architecture. For Dana, the act of artistic creation is inseparable from notions of the real world. Dana’s works challenge colonial narratives and explore indigenous identities and aspects of womanhood and community. This approach unfolded as a result of her years of work with INGOs and Government bodies, and her International training spanning Europe, Africa & the Middle East focusing on community participation and development. Growing up with women who painted, sewed, designed, and made art, Dana extends herself through artistry and has a long-standing fascination with detail. She has participated in exhibitions in Amman, Washington and Connecticut.
Beating Down Olives portrays Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season. During the olive harvest, Palestinian farmers face brutal and systematic attacks by Israeli settlers. Attacks include physical assault and beatings with stones, damage of property including homes, schools and cars, and theft and destruction of crops and fields. The olive harvest season is a time of celebration for the Palestinians.
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