“Palestine from Above” was originally exhibited at the A.M. Qattan Foundation in Ramallah from 11 September 2021 to 15 January 2022. The second iteration of this exhibition arrives at ANAMED in Istanbul during intense devastation in the Middle East, reaching its peak in the massacre in Gaza. The widespread use of cutting-edge war technologies, particularly aerial warfare and surveillance has amplified the necessity of rethinking the contents. The gravity of the context emphasizes its relevance in a world where historical and contemporary forces intersect with the Palestinian struggle.
The exhibition at ANAMED expands and updates the narrative by a closer look at the Ottoman era and through art installations based on documentary evidence. The latter interventions address the events since late 2023, highlighting Palestine’s ongoing struggle and resistance.
Crossing multiple chronologies and themes allows for bringing together the history of late Ottoman rule in Palestine, the British mandate and its role in establishing the infrastructure of the Zionist state, and the ongoing Israeli colonial expansion. Curated in a non-linear manner, these historical episodes reveal the intertwined reliance of different powers on aerial technologies to serve their respective ideological purposes and reshape the environment and the people.
The exhibition juxtaposes archival photographs, albums, books, letters, videos, films, and artworks, fostering a dialogue among these diverse sources to interrogate both history and contemporary realities. Organized into six chapters, it explores the relationships between technologies and the gaze from above, the lived experiences on the ground, and resistance on the land. The complexity underscores the fragmented, contested, and layered nature of Palestinian society and geography.
The exhibition features contemporary works by the following artists: Amer Shomali, Andrew Yip, Dia’ Azzeh, Fares Shomali, Forensic Architecture, Gian Spina, Jack Persekian, Kamal Jaafari, the Lumière brothers, Mahmoud Alhaj, Mohanad Yaqubi, Nida Sinnokrot, Raed Helou, the Riwaq–Centre for Architectural Conservation, Sophie Halabi, and Zeina Zarour.
Curators: Yazid Anani, Zeinab Azarbadegan, Zeynep Çelik, and Salim Tamari
Assistant Curator: Asma’ Al-Mozayen