Art as Solidarity: Posters for Palestine Exhibition Opens in Peja

The Posters for Palestine exhibition at the hall of Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla is officially open.

After traveling through galleries, festivals, and cultural spaces, this international solidarity initiative has arrived in Peja as part of Anibar. Bringing together Palestinian and Norwegian artists, the project creates a space for Palestinian stories and artistic voices. The works are available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to Palestinian artists in Gaza.

Featuring established and emerging artists, the exhibition presents diverse perspectives on Palestinian identity, memory, and lived experiences. The posters, created through a variety of artistic techniques, including painting, photography, and graphic design, showcase diverse visual approaches, ranging from realistic scenes to abstract compositions. Each artwork is created in one of the four colors of the Palestinian flag, black, white, green and red, and arranged in the exhibition space following the order of the flag. Recurring motifs include female figures wrapped in scarves, Palestinian cultural symbols, and bodies portrayed in close relationship with their surroundings. Each artwork is accompanied by a description of the work and the story behind it. 

The exhibition was opened by Mats Grorud from the Posters for Palestine initiative. He explained that the project was born from the desire to do something concrete, to move beyond simply following the news and instead build direct connections with Palestinian artists, learn about their lives and practices, and share their work with audiences around the world.

The empty walls of the space are filled with painted watermelons, a symbol closely connected to the Palestinian flag, following a curatorial decision by Rina Lasku. Looking back on the process behind the exhibition, she highlighted how meaningful it was to be part of a project with such a strong purpose.

In the corridor, visitors can find a sketchbook and colors, inviting them to create their own posters. Anibar encourages artists and audiences to take part in this interactive element. Selected works may become part of the traveling exhibition.

The hall of cinema was filled with Anibar audiences from Kosovo and abroad. Among the visitors was Nera, a 27-year-old from Sarajevo, who commented on the importance of seeing the work of Palestinian artists with decades of artistic practice behind them. “It is amazing to see pieces by artists who have been active for thirty, fifty years, speaking about an issue that has been present during their childhood, their growing up, and their whole lives.”

The exhibition will be open until the end of the festival. Don’t miss the chance to experience the artworks, support Palestinian artists by purchasing their work, or create your own poster and become part of the journey.