The Diaspora effect

From the early days, Anadiel exhibited Palestinian Diaspora artists, some of whom had never been to Palestine. Having foreign nationalities and passports, these artists were able to visit as tourists and many projects were made financially possible by the artists’ respective governments. In April 1996 the new premises of Anadiel hosted a solo show by Mona Hatoum. For Khalil Rabah this show was particularly memorable:

When we began to look towards Diaspora artists, Mona Hatoum was just starting to make a name for herself internationally and her solo exhibition at Anadiel in 1996 was an important moment for me. I felt that we really had brought contemporary art to Jerusalem (Ramallah, 2010).

A brand new discourse began to emerge as a result of encounters between visiting and local artists. This explored questions of identity and modernity, the relationship to the land, popular imagery and national iconography. More tangible concerns also emerged about articulation and representation.

At this time the profile of the gallery was also being enhanced by international media interest that had developed with the onset of the peace process. The signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords suggested that the political will did exist for a mutual exit strategy from the conflict. Yasser Arafat returned to Palestine, the Palestinian flag could be displayed without fear of arrest, and a sense of optimism prompted the return of many Palestinians who brought business, knowledge and commitment to the nascent Palestinian state. For a brief period this opened up considerable inflows of both private and international donor investment in the West Bank, particularly Ramallah, and to Gaza, where Arafat was initially based. East Jerusalem, however, was not included in the autonomous Palestinian territories, being one key issue among several postponed under the Oslo Accords. Negotiations on the status of Jerusalem were categorised as a final status issue which ultimately meant that they could be delayed indefinitely. The results of this are now painfully clear.