“Exploring Perspectives: Palestinian Photography Takes Center Stage at New York’s Palo Gallery”

A fresh exhibit at Palo Gallery in New York is illuminating the works of three emerging Palestinian photographers. Their creations delve into subjects such as home, displacement, identity, and geography, which resonate deeply considering the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Longing: In Between Homelands features imagery by Ameen Abo Kaseem, Nadia Bseiso, and Lina Khalid, who are currently residing in different nations across the Middle East. The exhibition showcases 22 images chosen by the artists from their prior works. The gallery was introduced to the trio of photographers through the Magnum Foundation, a nonprofit founded by the members of the Magnum Photos cooperative.

“When Palestinians appear in the media, it’s usually in the context of protests or associated with conflict or violence,” states Daneyal Mahmood, managing director of Palo Gallery. “This represents an opportunity for the artists to present their creations. It offers an alternative perspective of Palestine and Palestinians, providing a more profound understanding of the culture.”

During the gallery’s opening on Wednesday (January 8), Palo Gallery’s venue on East 3rd Street was bustling, in spite of being one of the chilliest nights of the winter thus far in New York. Although photography can be more challenging to sell compared to paintings, the gallery managed to sell two pieces on the night of the opening. Palo Gallery will cover the costs of producing the exhibit, with all earnings from the $750 prints going directly to the artists.

“Photography excels at capturing individuals at the intersection of their reality and their aspirations,” Mahmood explains. “You can ponder what they envisioned their lives would be like. Then, in the photograph, you observe the reality of their existence.”

Displayed alongside several of Kaseem’s monochromatic photos are excerpts of text he penned regarding his experiences amid violent conflict. Accompanying an image of three individuals embracing while carrying packed luggage, he wrote:

“‘They’ve suspended all flights to and from Beirut indefinitely.’…
I ponder: if I had been born on the opposite side of the globe, would I find myself in this very moment?
And if so, would I still recognize myself?
I dismiss this futile consideration.
I face my friends and assure them that all will be well.
I gaze at the ground for an extended period, whispering, “We deserved a better time on this earth.’”

“I hope that attendees leave with an understanding of the intricacies of home and exile—not merely as tangible spaces but as emotional and generational realities,” Kaseem, who holds Palestinian Syrian heritage, conveyed to The Art Newspaper from Beirut, where he currently resides. “I want them to experience the depth of it all, the yearning for a home that exists more in thoughts and feelings rather than in physical locations. This art revolves around resilience—the quiet defiance of remembrance, of not allowing our narratives to fade away.”

Among the three creators showcased, solely Bseiso’s images are in hue. A Palestinian Jordanian photographer residing in Amman, she captured moments of children engaging in water scenes such as rivers, springs, and a partially filled swimming pool, against rocky terrains and along a sunbaked, arid road. Water—and its scarcity—represents how eras of discord have altered the area, she expressed in a declaration.

“The images chosen were intended to underscore the water emergency confronting countries in the Fertile Crescent … the limitations imposed by artificial boundaries restrict our liberty and the reality that this geographical region is abundant in water, yet geopolitics plays a substantial role in who receives what, how much, and when,” Bseiso states.

Khalid, born in Amman, frequently visited the Red Sea during her upbringing in Jordan and observed Palestine from across the water. This encounter significantly impacted her subsequent creations, and her photographs in the showcase delve into the Dead Sea, portraying it as both a tangible and emotional environment, as noted in her statement, which reflects on the “hope and sorrow of … gazing at a land we can perceive but cannot access.”

“I wish for visitors to contemplate the common themes of displacement and yearning,” Khalid expresses. “While the artwork is profoundly entrenched in the Palestinian narrative, the sentiments it conveys transcend borders. It’s an invitation to ponder the implications of losing a home, the weight of carrying memories through generations, and the act of gazing toward something that may forever be beyond reach.”

• Longing: In Between Homelands, until 8 February, Palo Gallery, New York