São Paulo – Typical garments, handicraft and historic pieces are part of exhibition Raízes Palestinas (Palestinian Roots), to take place from May 28 to June 15, at the Albano Hartz Cultural Space, in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul.
The main attraction of the fair, promoted by the Culture Secretariat of Novo Hamburgo and the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Brasília, are 23 typical garments, collected by the ambassador of Palestine in Brazil, Nahida Tamimi Alzeben, over 12 years. “The research (for the collection) was on embroidery, as each country has its own style and colours,” said Alzeben.
On the 28th, the opening of the exhibition will take place at 7:00 pm, with the presence of the ambassadress and her husband, Ibrahim Alzeben, ambassador of Palestine in Brasília and dean of the Council of Arab Ambassador in the country. The event also promoted a debate with Brazilian writer Gilberto Abrão about book O muçulmano e a judia (The Muslim and the Jew) and Mohamed, O Latoeiro (Mohamed, the Tinsmith).
Apart from the garments, the exhibition also brings a fountain pen and bronze jars, handicraft made in mother of pearl from the cities of Belém and Beit Jala, and ceramics from the city of Hebron. “Ceramics from Hebron greatly represent Palestine,” said the ambassadress.
She explains that there are small objects that are representative of the country’s history, like three keys she was given by citizens of Palestine. “They are keys to Palestinian homes from the time of the diaspora, when the Palestinians had to leave their homes. I was given them by mature adults who thought they would no longer return,” she said.
On the 29th, at 7:30 pm, movie “Budrus” will be shown at the Pascoal Carlos Magno Municipal Theatre. The work covers a non-violent protest on the frontier of the West Bank and Israel, due to the announcement of construction of a wall by the Israeli, destroying historic olive trees, very important to the Palestinians.
Exhibition Raízes Palestinas travels and was set up for the first time in 2001, in Bogotá, Colombia. In Brazil, it has already been to São Paulo, Campinas, Goiânia, Carazinho, Passo Fundo and Porto Alegre. “The objective was to promote a collection and show it in the countries in which we are that Palestine is a millenary country, that we have culture. It is a proof of our existence as a Palestinian people,” he said.
A daughter of Palestinians, the ambassadress was born in Canela, in the Rio Grande do Sul mountain range. An urbanist and restorer, she worked for four years at the Urban Planning Ministry of Palestine, in Ramallah.
Service
Exhibition Raízes Palestinas
Opening: May 28th, at 7:00 pm
Visitation: from May 29th to June 15th, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm from Monday to Friday, and, on Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Site: Albano Hartz Cultural Space
Address: Calçadão Osvaldo Cruz, 112, Centro – Novo Hamburgo – RS
Admittance is free
*Translated by Mark Ament
