Berlin Initiative Breaks Silence to Advocate for Palestine

**Unsettled Earth: An Exhibition Exploring Palestinian Struggles and Global Patterns of Resistance**

In late April, Berlin’s Spore Initiative hosted the opening of “Unsettled Earth,” an exhibition curated by Joud Al Tamimi and Lama El Khatib that challenges the reductionist narratives surrounding Palestine through the power of art. Artistic Director Antonia Alampi emphasized the narrowing public space for solidarity in Germany, highlighting the prohibition of terms like “Palestine” and “resistance.”

The exhibition positions the Palestinian struggle as emblematic of broader global issues over land and liberation faced by Indigenous peoples. Sliman Mansour’s painting “The Village Awakens” (1987) sets the stage, portraying Palestinian life imbued with endurance and cultural memory. Contrary to popular symbols of the Palestinian cause, the exhibition favors motifs like thistles and olive trees to symbolize rootedness and steadfastness.

“Unsettled Earth” features over 13 artists, including works by Ahmad Alaqra and Bayan Abu Nahla. Alaqra’s “I Died a Thousand Times” (2024), a 3D-printed sculpture, and Nahla’s watercolor “Airdrops” (2024) provoke powerful reflections on environmental and humanitarian crises in Gaza.

Running alongside the exhibition, “Aʿmāl Al-‘Arḍ” showcases works from artists rooted in the West Bank, facilitated by Dar Jacir. These works, like the archival photograph of Australian soldiers in Gaza adorned with gas masks, offer historical context and contemporary resonance.

The exhibitions in Berlin invite audiences to look beyond surface-level debates and engage deeply with the intertwined fates of land, people, and resistance worldwide. They urge viewers to see Palestine not just as an erasure but as a revelation, a mirror for global struggles and a testament to resilience.