Art Exhibition “Land, Peoples and Identities”

“Land, Peoples and Identities” is a very interesting topic for many artists all over the world. As a major event of the conference, the ICB hosted a group exhibition of 30 artists belonging to various lands from all over the world, each having his/her own Identity and sharing it with his/her own people. Using different techniques and styles, the various artists are exhibiting together in Bethlehem in order to tell their different personal and national stories, share it with the others, and express their own identity.

Visiting the exhibition, one gets involved with the Palestinian story of the people through the photography installation by the Jerusalem artists Steve Sabella, and the photographs of the American Palestinian Iraqi artist Sama Alshaibi. Having an Iraqi father and a Palestinian mother, born in Iraq, raised in several countries, and now living in USA, Alshaibi has a unique perspective of the story. In addition to her expressive photographs, it was very important that Alshaibi herself attended the conference and integrated with the participants.

One can also read symbols of the development of the Holy city Jerusalem through the big relieves by the Jerusalem artist Khouloud Abu-Sbaih.

While the installation of the Bethlehem artist Nadira Alaraj reflects the story of the UN resolutions, which stays as resolutions on papers and are not realized the British artist Susan Trangmar deals with many questions about the people, the land and the roll of an outsider / international / foreigner in this Palestinia – Israeli struggle.

In addition to the works of the Palestinian artists, there are art works of four active Israeli artists, Ronen Eidelman, Gaston Zvi Ickovitz, Hilit Leibler and Yael Oren-Zalait. Through their art works the four artists reflects in different techniques their belief in the end of the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian right to self-determination and in equality of Palestinians & Israelis within a one or two states solution.

The art works of prof. Manfred Dinnes is very phylosophical and abstract. He exhibits 20 paintings out of the series of 400 paintings,a homage to the ”Divina commedia” of Dante Alighieri. He also reflects the struggle in former Yoguslavia.

The different identities of the American citizens are also reflected at this exhibition.  One can read the story of the Native American people, through the photos of prof. Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie from Woodland, CA.,

and the story of the Chicanos and the latinos through the art works of the 9 Chicano artists:  George Rivera, Ricky Armendáriz, Tony Ortega, Sylvia Montero, Carlos Fresquez, Oscar Gustavo Plascencia, Raquel Vasquez, Quintin Gonzalez and Alfredo Ortiz and the works of the 8 Latino artists; Isabel Rivero-Marshall, Paula Andrea Garcia, Eugene Stewart-Huidobro, Adriana Restrepo, Luzia Ornelas, Luis Valdovino, Maria Del Pilar Mejia and Juliana Lopera, and American artists; Dan Boord and Garrison Roots.

 “Chicanos” are defined as people of Mexican descent born in the United States, while Latinos/Latinas is a general term that refers to all Spanish-speaking people and includes people from Central and South America living in the United States.