Doko al-Jidran
Fundraising – Collective art exhibition for the children of Palestine.
SIXTY EGYPTIAN ARTISTS ARE RAISING FUNDS FOR PALESTINIAN CHILDREN
By Farah Ibrahim for @CairoScene and the Gallery
Sixty Egyptian artists are coming together under one roof, united under one cause: to stand by the children of Palestine. Organized and hosted by ArtTalks Gallery in Zamalek, Doko al-Jidran is a group exhibit that will see most of its profits donated to the children of Palestine.
At least 232 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s latest assault on Palestine, leaving many Palestinian children without a father or a mother, or both. ArtTalks has a long-running tradition of being engaged in social causes, and founder Fatenn Kanafani (@arttalksegypt) was quick to mobilize her platform to support this cause.
“Art has the power to change narratives, to send a message of support, to tell Palestinians, “We share your suffering! We can hear you!” Kanafani tells #CairoScene. “We don’t want to hang paintings in solidarity; we want to help in a practical way. We may not be able to head into the streets to protest in solidarity, but the minimum we can do is to raise funds and dare speak up.”
Kanafani originally enlisted just two artists for her mission, only to find scores of other artists piling in to donate some of their best artworks for the cause. “We are thrilled by the overwhelming response of Egyptian artists! Up until this moment, we are receiving messages and phone calls from Egyptian and Arab artists from all over the world ready to donate and partake in the cause.”
Kanafani and her team organized the exhibit in a handful of days and named it after late Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani’s famous works. The proceeds will go to a foundation in his name, known as the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental foundation established on 8 July 1974, on the second commemoration of Kanafani’s assassination. The foundation runs schools and kindergartens for deprived children offers libraries, an art center, and clubs for children aged 7-18. It also provides job opportunities – primarily to women – in camps for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and promotes Palestinian cultural and social activities.
The exhibit will officially open on May 25th at ArtTalks Gallery in Zamalek. It will be On-site and Online to enable any interested buyers to acquire work from any part of the world. The gallery ships worldwide. The show has no specific end date; it will continue until all the artworks have been sold. Artworks will rotate as long as artists’ donations pour in.
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In his first novel, Men in The Sun (1962), the monumental Palestinian political activist and author Ghassan Kanafani (1936-1972) offers a highly charged metaphor for the Palestinian struggle for justice and liberation.
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Three Palestinians decide to be smuggled to cross the border, seeking a better life away from illegal occupation and refugee camps.
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Their only choice: was to hide in an empty water tank in the back of a huge lorry.
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Before they reach their final destination, the driver opens the tank only to find the Palestinians have died…in silence..their eyes fixed on the immense door.
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The driver shouted:
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“Why didn’t you knock on the tank’s walls?
Why? Why? Why?”
Support The Cause. You, too can make a difference!
#DokoalJibran You too can knock on the walls of silence.
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في روايته الأولى “رجال في الشمس” (1962) ، يقدم غسان كنفاني (1936-1972) أستعارة مشحونة للنضال الفلسطيني.
سعيًا لحياة أفضل بعيدًا عن الأحتلال غير الشرعي ومخيمات اللاجئين ، أراد ثلاثة فلسطينيين أن يتم تهريبهم لعبور الحدود.
خيارهم الوحيد كان الإختباء في خزان مياه فارغ في شاحنة ضخمة.
قبل أن يصلوا إلى وجهتهم النهائية ، يفتح السائق خزان الشاحنة ليجد الفلسطينيين قد ماتوا في صمت وعيونهم مثبتة على الباب.
صاح السائق:
. “لماذا لم تدقوا جدار الخزان؟ لماذا ا؟ لماذا؟ لماذا؟