{"id":35038,"date":"2024-11-01T11:39:49","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T09:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldsite\/?p=35038"},"modified":"2024-11-01T11:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T09:39:49","slug":"the-palestinian-gazelle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldsite\/the-palestinian-gazelle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Palestinian Gazelle"},"content":{"rendered":"
Artist Manal Mahamid shares the evolution of her exhibition The Palestinian Gazelle<\/em>, which has been on display in Bethlehem, Haifa and Ramallah, as well as in Niklass, Belgium, Toronto and at the 2024 Dubai Art Fair.<\/h5>\n

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Manal Mahamid<\/h4>\n

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As a Palestinian artist working across sculpture, video and photography, my practice is deeply rooted in exploring the complex intersections between colonialism, identity, and the altered landscapes of my homeland. I use art to confront the ways in which colonial regimes reshape not only human narratives but also the ecological realities of a place. I believe that land, animals, and plants are not passive victims in this transformation; they are active bearers of history, witnesses to the trauma of erasure, and symbols of resilience. My project, The Palestinian Gazelle<\/em>, emerged from these reflections and became a pivotal part of my ongoing exploration of environmental justice and ecological resistance.<\/p>\n

\"<\/a>

Manal Mahamid, \"Palestinian Gazelle 1,\" etching & aquatint on archival paper,\n73\u00d793 cm, 2016 (courtesy of the artist).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"The<\/a>

\"The Golden Gazelle,\" photo etching and mixed media on archival paper, 33\u00d743cm, 2016 (courtesy of the artist).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"A<\/a>

\"A Village,\" photo etching and pastel on archival paper, 35\u00d726cm, 2016 (courtesy of the artist).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Manal<\/a>

Manal Mahamid, Palestinian gazelles, 2017 (courtesy Manjm Culture Lab).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Palestinian<\/span>\""A<\/span>\"\"<\/span>\"Manal<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

The project began with a personal experience at a zoo in Israel, where I noticed a sign at a gazelle enclosure. In Arabic and English, it read \u201cThe Palestinian Gazelle,\u201d but in Hebrew, it was labeled \u201cThe Israeli Gazelle.\u201d This deliberate reclassification was more than just a change of words \u2014 it was an act of environmental violence, a clear attempt to overwrite a piece of the landscape\u2019s story. It echoed a broader policy of naming, erasing, and reassigning identities within the land itself. I realized that the renaming of the gazelle was symbolic of a larger process where even nature is co-opted and redefined by the occupying power. This manipulation of ecological narratives reflects a form of ecological colonialism<\/em> \u2014 where the natural world is altered to reflect the colonizer\u2019s claim over the land and its history.<\/p>\n

The gazelle has long been an iconic symbol in Palestinian culture, representing beauty, grace, and a connection to the land that predates political borders. But in this encounter, I saw how even the natural world is not spared from colonial narratives that attempt to sever the people\u2019s connection to their environment. A later experience in the same zoo deepened the project further. I saw a gazelle with an amputated leg, and when I asked, the zookeeper explained that they had \u201csaved\u201d it by cutting off its limb. This explanation struck me as disturbingly familiar. It reflected the paradox of colonialism: to preserve something by mutilating it, to \u201csave\u201d it by altering it beyond recognition.<\/p>\n

From this encounter, the gazelle became a powerful metaphor in my work. To me, the amputated limb mirrors the experience of Palestinians, whose connection to their land has been severed, fragmented, and rewritten. Yet, despite the dismemberment, the gazelle stands, dignified and defiant. It symbolizes the broader fight for environmental justice<\/em>, where the struggle is not only about protecting land and species but also about preserving cultural identities and historical narratives against a backdrop of systemic erasure.<\/p>\n

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