Montreal art exhibit reveals life for children in Gaza
Posted January 11, 2024 12:20 pm.
Last Updated January 11, 2024 6:40 pm.
An art exhibition in Montreal is shining a light on what the children in Gaza are living.
The organizers of the “Cocoons Between Earth and Heaven” exhibition at Espace Pop on Parc Avenue are hoping the language of art could contribute to ending the Israel-Hamas war.
“The idea of the cocoon, I think, is that those children, those babies, are more like, at this point, worms that are in cocoons, that they are dead,” said exhibit organizer Ehab Lotayef. “But then, from the huge numbers we see, they are new or reborn, and again, die again, and then keep dying again and again, till at the end, we feel that, we hope that they die one final death to go to their final rest.
“What he’s trying to say, in my understanding, is that the children of Gaza do not distinguish anymore between paper rockets that they play with and the rockets that fall on them from the sky. Everything got confused, and that the world cannot be silent while this is happening.”
The Montreal-based artist of the “Cocoons” exhibit, known as The Babylonian, aims to draw attention to the what the children of Gaza are witnessing. The exhibit also features musical and poetic performances, providing a comprehensive experience for visitors.
“People may see it from different perspectives,” said Nahida Elassi, who visited the exhibit. “One of them is art. And this exhibition is really amazing because even if we follow the news, you see it on TV, and you connect with it, of course. But to see it in artistic form, that’s another angle, another perspective. And I think people should come and see it and feel more of the connection to Gaza.”
The exhibit was sponsored by Teesri Duniya Theatre and the Silk Road Institute, in collaboration with Independent Jewish Voices in Montreal.
“We are sponsoring this event as an opportunity for the people of Montreal to be able to witness the tragedy of the lives lost in Gaza and of the children affected through this medium of art, and as an opportunity to really prompt people towards action and pressuring our government not only to call for a ceasefire, but also to stop funding the war effort and to stop sending arms to Israel,” said Sarah Boivin, who works for Independent Jewish Voices.
The exhibition runs until Jan. 14.
