Gaza art exhibit reinterprets the meaning of home
Gaza art exhibit reinterprets the meaning of home newspress_en Mon, 10/12/2026 - 05:32 Culture & Social Affairs During the genocidal war in Gaza, people’s relationship with ‘home’ became bound up with memory and with the details and everyday moments associated with it. A place that had once seemed permanent became vulnerable to change and disappearance. Remembered fragments became traces of…
An art exhibit in Gaza titled "Home Archive" challenges the conventional understanding of home, exploring the concept through the lens of memory and everyday experiences. The exhibition, curated by young artists Ibrahim Muhanna, Hassan al Zaanin, and Hadeel Halasa, presents a thought-provoking reinterpretation of what it means to have a home.
The artists delve into the idea that home is not merely a physical structure, but a complex human experience that extends beyond walls. They use various elements such as television sets, seashells, the sea, and family conversations to visually express the shifting relationship between people and their surroundings in Gaza.
Ibrahim Muhanna, a 20-year-old artist and co-founder of the art collective Frameless, emphasizes the importance of not reducing human experience to a single image. He believes that emotions cannot be confined and that art should be able to express the many dimensions of the same experience. Muhanna acknowledges the impact of the war on his life and work, but he refuses to let it become the sole lens through which Gazan artists are perceived.
The collective organizes workshops for children, focusing on identity, safety, bewilderment, home, and the bond between people and place. The exhibition "Home Archive" grew out of these workshops, showcasing the diverse perspectives and experiences of the artists.
For Muhanna, art is a crucial element of identity, serving as a means of self-expression and inner dialogue. He finds solace in solitude while drawing, and his art has evolved through personal loss and the impact of war. The darkened tones in his paintings now evoke painful memories associated with rockets, soldiers, tanks, and the sounds of war.
Through their work, Gaza's artists strive to preserve their understanding of home amidst the devastation caused by the war. They refuse to be defined solely by the destruction around them and instead use art as a powerful tool to reflect on the changing nature of home and the memories that shape their lives.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
