A new travelling exhibit is bringing culture, resilience and stories of Gaza and Palestinians to the Carleton University community.
Created by the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, State of Palestine, Gaza Remains highlights the history and experiences of Gazans while celebrating the “enduring spirit of Gaza’s people.”
The exhibit came to The Wing on the fourth floor of Nideyinàn on Jan. 15.
Gaza Remains consists of text, photographs and prints that provide an opportunity for viewers to enhance their understanding of Gaza’s history. Cultivating learning is something exhibit organizers and Nir Hagigi, president of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Carleton, believe is crucial in bringing people together.
“Education is one of our strongest tools that we have for collective liberation,” Hagigi said, adding that the exhibit is a chance to “open people’s eyes” to images and stories they may not have heard before.
Along with IJV, Carleton University Human Rights Society, Carleton 4 Palestine, CUPE 4600, Labour 4 Palestine Ottawa, Students for Justice in Palestine Carleton and Faculty 4 Palestine collaborated to showcase the exhibit.
Four days after the exhibit opened, a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. Although many celebrations followed as thousands of Palestinians returned home for the first time in months, Hagigi said that in most cases, families weren’t returning to a house.
“They’re returning to places that have been completely destroyed and they’re taking in that destruction,” Hagigi said. “This is the first time that a lot of those people have been able to grieve.”
Mariam Shabana, a second-year international business student at Carleton, said the exhibit is presented in a way that allows herself and others to absorb information that can sometimes be complicated.
“A lot of this stuff is really informative, and it’s not done in an overbearing amount,” she said.
Shabana said she appreciated the exhibit’s variety of posters, as they made the information more digestible. She said she also enjoyed the use of different languages in the posters and photographs that depicted “people being people.”
“Sometimes when we’re far away from things, we tend to ignore their humanity,” Shabana said. “A lot of these photos humanize the people in Palestine.”
Nagam Abuihmaid, a third-year neuroscience student at Carleton and Palestinian, said the exhibit was “incredibly powerful,” as it shed light on stories that are often overshadowed.
“It brings out the spirit of the Palestinians as who they really are,” Abuihmaid said.
She said learning about Palestinian culture not only helps its preservation, but also strengthens people’s understanding of their identity.
“Once you understand that the mentality [Palestinians] have is of resistance and hope, you appreciate that the heart that beats is of a human.”
The exhibit explores various moments in 20th and 21st century history that contextualize the current events in Palestine. Posters show the progression of Palestinian land loss, timelines including “nine decades of systemic violence” and messages of solidarity.
One poster that resonated with Abuihmaid discussed agriculture in Gaza. Born in Yatta, a city in the West Bank, Abuihmaid said she remembers people coming together to pick olives in the fall, plant cucumber seeds in the spring and enjoy figs and grapes in the summer.
“They did all of that despite the day-to-day struggles under the occupation of the state of Israel,” Abuihmaid said.
Those memories, she said, represent the importance of togetherness within Palestinian culture.
“What makes me yearn most for home is that sense of community we all shared as we laughed and celebrated the fruits of our land.”
Abuihmaid said she believes the exhibit can help foster a space for shared dialogue and understanding to build a larger sense of community.
“Bringing cultures together fosters empathy and solidarity, which are crucial for addressing global challenges like injustice and inequality,” Abuihmaid said. “And in the face of genocide, we need that support more than ever.”
Abuihmaid said she hopes people leave the exhibit with an understanding of the “resilience and humanity” of Gazans and Palestinians.
“Despite the hardships, there’s an enduring spirit of creativity, community and hope that shines through.”
The exhibit will remain at Carleton until Feb. 7, 2025.
Featured Image by Grace Martin/the Charlatan.
