São Paulo – This Tuesday (2nd), in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, the exhibition Retratos da resistência – um povo que luta para não desaparecer (Portraits of resistance – a people who struggle not to disappear), featuring 30 black and white photographs of Palestinians who live in the West Bank. The photos were taken by the Brazilian photographers Rafael Oliveira and Leandro Taques, who travelled to the region in April 2013 during the Second International Mission of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The Secretariat for Justice and Human Rights of the Rio Grande do Sul government was a partner in holding the exhibition.
Taques told ANBA that the idea to take the photos came up during the trip. The photographers spent seven days in the West Bank. Taques was invited by Oliveira to join the mission.
“In these missions, Brazilians travel to Palestine to find out what the population’s needs are, to have a close look at the situation they live in. We took pictures to show the daily lives of those people, to portray the oppression they are under, and to show a militarized territory where they have no right to come and go,” he said.
The result of their trip can be checked out in 15 photos by Taques and 15 photos by Oliveira. According to Taques, one of the things that impressed him the most was how difficult it is for Palestinians to get water from the Jordan River Valley, whereas Israeli farms use it freely. He did not fail to notice the wall dividing Palestinians and Israelis either.
“What caught my attention the most is the resistance of these people, who fight on a daily basis not to be wiped off the face of the earth. They are hardworking warriors,” he said. According to the photographer, the Palestinians hold Brazilians in high esteem. “They all are aware of Brazil. They are respectful and even tender towards Brazilians and Brazil,” he remarked.
This is the first time the photos are shown to the public. The pictures will be donated to the Arab Palestinian Federation of Brazil (Fepal). According to Taques, talks are underway for the exhibition to be featured in other venues. After the show’s opening, an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people was due to be held.
Service:
Exhibition "Portraits of Resistance – A people who struggle not to disappear"
Until next Friday (5th)
At Galeria dos Municípios, in the Legislative Asembly of Rio Grande do Sul
Praça Marechal Deodoro, 101, Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
