A Sight of Disjunction, an exhibition of the A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF), has arrived at its second station in the city of Haifa. Organised at Manjam – Haifa Culture Lab, the exhibition will run through 26 October 2017. The exhibition was showcased in the city of Ramallah in July 2017.
The central theme of A Sight of Disjunction revolves around The Heart Paints What The Hand Perceives (2017), an autobiography of artist Tamam El-Akhal and her husband Ismail Shammout. This autobiography unfolds a reading of a paradox within the concept of time.
The exhibition’s theme seeks to part with conventional Palestinian icons, so that a painting becomes a means of modern reflection and a link between different times and works of art. It also opens up the art production process in the studio of an artist that is often absent from art exhibitions.
The AMQF has decided to organise A Sight of Disjunction in Haifa due to its role as a central site and a significant cultural hub in the 1948 territory.
Abed al-Rahman Shabane, curator of the exhibition, stated: “Working together with curator Rula Khouri, we encountered difficulties when we searched for an appropriate space for the exhibition. Due to various Israeli restrictions, we also faced logistic challenges in transporting works of art to Haifa. We chose to cooperate with Manjam, a Palestinian space run by Palestinian youth. We seek to support and promote serious initiatives of the youth.”
According to its managers, Manjam seeks to provide a space and allow room for cultural and artistic experience. In the pursuit of improving and developing the current art scene, Manjam furnishes an opportunity for collaboration with local artists and Palestinian cultural institutions. It encourages and promotes the audience of art in Palestine through interactive art, whereby the audience is sometimes an active part of the artwork.
14 Palestinian artists with different works and styles took part in the exhibition: Amer Shomali, Bashar Khalaf, Bashir Qanqar, Dina Matar, Khaled Hourani, Mohammed Hawajri, Mohammed Joulani, Mohammed Saleh Khalil, Michael Hallaq, Nabil Anani, Ra’fat Asad, Suleiman Mansour, Samah Shahadeh, and Taqiyuddin Sabatin.
On his participation in A Sight of Disjunction, Halak said: “I am an ardent admirer of Ismail Shammout and his works. The exhibition gave me the opportunity to participate and present my work for the first time in Ramallah. I am happy that the exhibition has moved from Ramallah and to the space of Manjam, which was established through a genuine Arab initiative. I think that the idea and relocation of the exhibition to Haifa has been our dream.”
The exhibition receives visitors from 5:00 pm through 11:00 pm every day.
Fares Halahleh, a visitor, said: “The initiative is so beautiful. The Arab community in Haifa lacks this kind of exhibitions and spaces.”
Foz Francis, a visitor, stated: “The exhibition is beautiful. Each painting addresses a different theme. Every artist has their own style. We are so happy to have this exhibition in Haifa. We hope that this experience is repeated in the future.”