Jerusalem Syndrome 2009

The city of Jerusalem is characterized by the concentration of diversity and its conflicts - spiritual, political and territorial at the same time. The Jerusalem Syndrome overtakes tourists, who are overwhelmed by the unique denseness of spiritual sites in the Holy City, their history and imaginaries. Between fifty and two hundred travellers, pilgrims and tourists, every year are affected by the syndrome, believing they are Virgin Mary or the Messiah. They are walking around the city, trying to spread the news of their palingenesis or the apocalypse – before they are taken to the state psychiatric ward.

Therefore the Jerusalem Syndrome stands for enlightenment and collapse at the same time, it is the strongest effect Jerusalem can have on the personality of a visitor. The madness and illusion of being chosen also characterizes the relations of religion and power, when the historical importance of religious sites are cited to legitimate territorial claims over the city. In this sense Jerusalem is also the nucleus of the occupation and its spatial-military practice. (Introduction to the Jerusalem Show 2009) .

In 2009 Jerusalem was designated Capital of Arab Culture by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO). This usually entails a year long programme of events in the designated city supported by Arab League members and cultural organisations. Jerusalem would have been difficult at the best of times given the difficulties of approval for a celebration of Arab Culture in Jerusalem. As 2009 began, however, there were far worse problems than the Israeli municipality. The aerial bombardment of Gaza and subsequent ground invasion were ongoing and tensions among Palestinians and the wider Arab world were exacerbated as a consequence. Not an ideal time to be planning for an Arab Culture festival.

In the end the official launch of the Capital of Arab Culture in Jerusalem had to be delayed by several months and even then the challenges of trying to organize events in a city sealed off from the majority of the Palestinian population were as absurd as ever. However, the Jerusalem Show in 2009 was also a part of this wider framework and as a consequence extra resources were available. This was reflected in the additional sponsorship and support that the Jerusalem Show managed to bring on board which had a huge impact on what the Jerusalem Syndrome was able to do:

What it meant was that we could invite more artists and more guests and also generate better publicity. First and foremost it allowed us to put together some significant installations like Ramallah Syndrome [Sandi Hilal + Alessandro Petti] which was installed in PADICO. This was a technically quite sophisticated project and these kinds of complex technical systems are expensive. This project in particular was very, very important because it concerns a phenomenon which has had a huge impact on Jerusalem and is a very present discussion among Palestinians. The work was a sound installation capturing a series of these informal discussions. (Jack Persekian, October 2010)

The ‘Ramallah Syndrome’ essentially refers to the impression created and promoted that Ramallah is a successful, developing and dynamic city that demonstrates concrete and tangible results on the ground of the ‘success’ of the failed Oslo Peace Process. This constant positive and illusory focus on Ramallah as a PR tool to justify both the Palestinian Authority and the Oslo process is seen as contributing much to Jerusalem’s decline and invisibility. It obscures the economic and social deprivation of Palestinians in Jerusalem and also in other Palestinian cities, and is essentially seen as a surreal act of propaganda for a failed process and an impotent authority. Installing the work in Jerusalem that year took on an added importance because it came fresh from Palestine c/o Venice, the first ever Palestinian representation at the Venice Biennale.

The whole programme in 2009 included 30 artists, a co-curator, Nina Montmann and film programmes curated by Rasha Salti, Lara Khalidi and Yazan Khallili. Partnerships and events this year were also able to go beyond Jerusalem. The show coincided with the 3rd Riwaq Biennale in Ramallah, headed by Khalil Rabah, and there were several concurrent events. Joint symposia were also held at Birzeit University and menat that Jack Persekian and Khalil Rabah worked together again for the first time in many years. Huda Iman’s Centre for Jerusalem Studies at Al Quds University was once again involved in organizing walking tours around the Old City while another Ramallah partner was the International Art Academy, Palestine. The Academy, founded in 2006, was headed by Dr. Tina Sherwell, an early contributor to Al-Ma’mal’s workshops as was tutor Rula Halawani. Another of the academy's tutors was Emily Jacir who had exhibited as artist in residence at Al Ma'mal and been part of both previous Jerusalem Shows.

There were also concurrent activities running throughout the Show including Youth Visions of Jerusalem, an exhibition of new media art projects made by Al Ma'mal workshop participants at Bethlehem Peace Center and architectural trails organized by the Riwaq Biennial which took visitors to important heritage sites in Birzeit, Taybeh, Hebron and Galilee.

The designation of Jerusalem as Capital of Arab Culture did make a difference on the ground that year despite the difficulties. What it proved was that extra international support not only helps one institution to grow and mature but enables greater co-operation between several, when the pressure of competition for limited resources is temporarily eased. In the enduring absence of normality it was also a rare opportunity to express the cultural contiguity, impervious to checkpoints and walls, that remains between Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities.

Jerusalem Syndrome - The Jerusalem Show 2009
Artists: Jumana Emil Abboud, Nevin Aladag, Ayreen Anastas + Rene Gabri, Samira Badran, Taysir Batniji, Nathan Coley, Collaboration Around Micro Politics Mumbai (CAMP), Phil Collins, Kajsa Dahlberg, Andrea Faciu, Issa Freij, Raouf Haj-Yahia, Sandi Hilal + Alessandro Petti + Basel Abbas + Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Mahmoud Hojeij, Khaled Hourani, Maider Lopez, Ken Lum, Sliman Mansour, Olaf Nicolai, Ria Pacquee, Wael Shawky, Ala Younis.

Performance: Basel Abbas + Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Tarek Atoui, Phil Collins, Dora Garcia, Suheir Hammad

Sound Project: curated by Federica Bueti in collaboration with RAM, Radio Arte Mobile, Rome (Italy)
Artists: Elisabetta Benassi, Riccardo Benassi, Alvin Curran, Etienne Chambaud, Liam Gillick, Christina Kubisch, Brandon La Belle, Tris Vonna Michell, Carsten Nicolai, Cesare Pietroiusti, Vettor Pisani, Annie Ratti, Michael J. Schumacher, Valerio Tricoli, Stephen Vitiello, Luca Vitone, Achim Wollscheid

How I Have Missed You
Film Program I co-presented with ArteEast, curated by Rasha Salti
Films by Maher Abi Samra, Ghassan Salhab, Mohamed Soueid and Akram Zaatari

We Are Never Heroes
Film Program II curated by Lara Khaldi and Yazan Khalili
Films by Johan Grimonprez, Annemarie Jacir, Mustafa Abu Ali, JeanLuc Godard, Elia Suleiman

Walks & Tours in Jerusalem
Organized by the Center for Jerusalem Studies Al Quds University

Collaborating institutions
A.M. Qattan Foundation, Anadiel Gallery, ArteEast, Austrian Hospice of the Holy Family, Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al Quds University, College des Freres, International Academy of Art Palestine, Palestine Development and Investment Limited (PADICO), RAM - Radio Arte Mobile, Rome, Riwaq Biennale, Shabaka - Network of Arab Cineclubs, Spafford Children’s Center, The Jerusalem Hotel, The Tile Factory, The Swedish Christian Study Center, Venice c/o Palestine, Versavee Cafe, Jerusalem.

Sponsors and Supporters
Austrian Hospice of the Holy Family, Consulate General of Belgium in Jerusalem and The Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), Bohen Foundation, British Council, Consulat Général de France à Jérusalem, Darat al Funun - The Khalid Shoman Foundation, Ford Foundation, Goethe Institute - Ramallah, Palestinian Investment Fund, Prince Claus Fund for Culture & Development, Sharjah Art Foundation, The Jerusalem Unit, Sociedad Estatal para la Accion Cultural Exterior (Seacex), Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) - Jerusalem, The Representative Office of Canada to the PA.