In Our People are Our Mountains, after Amílcar Cabral’s words on the Guinea-Bissau’s liberation movement, artists and collectives in Palestine collaborate with majelis (assembly) Jakarta by sending instructions remotely. The concept behind utilizing instructions, rather than physically transferring works or facilitating travel, stems from ethical, political, and environmental considerations. The art community is increasingly cognizant of the complexities and consequences of travel and the logistics of transportation for brief exhibitions; the environmental cost often outweighs the potential benefits of creating and maintaining relationships. Nevertheless, the importance of maintaining connections, learning from one another’s artistic expressions, and building solidarities across shared struggles remains undeniable.
The act of sending instructions is also a way to point to the physical and symbolic distances, particularly emphasizing the profound difficulties associated with moving in and out of Palestine. This initiative, therefore, is an act of transmission and trust—artists will transmit their creative directives to counterparts in Jakarta, who will, in turn, realize, contribute to, perform, or enact the instructions in place. In the Amsterdam iteration, the instructions will be presented, whereas parts of them will be activated throughout the coming weeks. Alongside, performances, workshops and gatherings will take place throughout the project. The full programme will be announced soon.
Instructions by Adel Al Taweel, Al-Wah’at Collective, Dalia Taha, Essa Grayeb, Om Sulaiman Farm (Yara Dowani), Sakeb
Performances, gatherings & films by de Appel COOP at DAI, Essa Grayeb, Isshaq Albarbary, Mohamed Abdelkarim, Noor Abed & Zeynep Kayan, Noor Abuarafeh, Reading Vigil for Palestine
Jakarta majelis: Gudskul Ekosistem, RajutKejut, Sanggar Anak Akar, Cut and Rescue, Westwew, Binatang Press!, Setali Indonesia, Galeri Saku Kolektif, Asosiasi Pematung