A project by artist 233 , the pseudonym of an artist living and studying in Seville, Spain.  The following is a series of pieces created during an exchange program between the University of Seville and the International Academy of Art in Ramallah, Palestine. 

'Burgos Project'

The main purpose of this project was to develop cooperation through making direct contact with the lived reality of the people in this region, and contribute to their peace process and the broader struggle for human rights. In the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict my fellows and I chose the word ‘Burgos’ (the name of a Spanish city) as a codename for ‘Palestine’ when we crossed any border or checkpoint controlled by the Israeli government or when we were in compromised locations in Israel, Jordan, or Palestine. The following are just some of the pieces that resulted from this collaborative works between Spanish and Palestinian young artists.

Walk of Crescents. Street art. Ramallah City & Qalandia Checkpoint.

This piece was created in collaboration with Palestinian artist Heba Al-Baghdadi, and consists of a series of different paintings in red of the symbolic Palestinian crescent with a person’s name inside of it. The names correspond to ten Gaza children killed during the Operation Pillar of Defense launched by Israeli Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip, in November 2012. The work seeks to show this cruel reality through a “public shout” of these well-known names. The work also creates a distant, but powerful comparison with the popular Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, allowing the spectator to reflect on the strong ideological contrast.

Art students are the future. Video Art. International Academy of Art in Ramallah.

In Art students are the future, six art students–-three men and three women––from the International Academy of Art in Ramallah were given ten minutes per person to speak with total freedom about their artwork or personal traits. Through a documentary video, I collected transcendent information from students who are faced with the challenge of living in a hostile area.  It is a means to understand their idea of art or how they use it, and can be used as a study model by other art institutions around the world. (The video is still in the process of being edited, and will published as soon as it is available.)

Looking to Gaza. Performance series. Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem.

This project involved a series of participatory performances. The Aida Refugee Camp in the West Bank is known for its anti-war demonstrations, in support of the people living in Gaza. The participatory performance we put in place generated a visual connection between the Aida Refugee Camp and Gaza by means of forming an imaginary arrow with people’s bodies, pointing from one end to another according to a compass and to cardinal points.