Arte e política: festival de artes na Palestina

Festival de Artes Palestiniano, desfile em Ramalah em comemoração da primeira intifada. Foto Uriel Sinai para o The New York Times

O festival de artes palestiniano Qalandiya International acontece de 2 em 2 anos. O desfile evocativo da primeira intifada, quando dominava a ocupação militar israelita e não se via nas ruas a Autoridade Palestiniana teve, em 2014, um ambiente urbano diferente, com forças da Autoridade Palestiniana a bloquearam as ruas para os artistas passarem, numa tranquilidade em nada semelhante aos anos 80, até que a polícia à paisana deteve dois jovens mascarados que distribuiam reproduções de panfletos da época a incitar à resistência. O jornal americano The New York Times fez a reportagem do local dos acontecimentos:

“Sometimes art is more political than politics itself,” said Khaled Hourani, a Palestinian artist who helped organize the procession. “In a way,” he said of the mask episode, “it became part of the show.”

Putting on an arts biennale anywhere is complicated. Here, the festival, Qalandiya International, faced special challenges in catering to a Palestinian society that is highly politicized, physically fragmented, internally divided, partly autonomous but still struggling against Israeli occupation, and not given to displays of frivolity or celebration.

The timing of the biennale, from late October to mid-November, raised more questions about appropriateness, so soon after the death and destruction of this summer’s 50-day Gaza war.

“There was a discussion,” said Jack Persekian, director of the Palestinian Museum, now under construction, and an organizer. “But it is a celebration of continuity, of life, of steadfastness and, if I may, resistance. There was no doubt we should go on.”

If anything, the festival has served to underscore the intense interplay between art and the Palestinian cause.

Politics Mingles With Art at a Palestinian Cultural Festival, no The New York Times