Palestinian artists open Gaza Biennale in New York

As Firas Zreik strummed the harp-like kanun at the opening of the Gaza Biennale in New York on Sept 11, visitors were surrounded by artistic renderings from the war zone in the Middle East. There were images of mortal wounds, of rubble, of survival.

- Zachary Small

The melody by Zreik, a 29-year-old Palestine-born musician, set a sombre tone for the show, which was staged at Recess Art in Brooklyn as the first leg of a brief American tour.

Participants hoped this edition of the show, named From Gaza To The World, would help Americans understand the perspective of Palestinians who are experiencing violence at a time when some institutions are rejecting Palestinian art.

Most of the paintings, illustrations and sculptures were reproductions made from digital photographs and carried out by instructions from the artists, who are unable to transport their work outside the Gaza Strip.

In a video projected behind Zreik, 22-year-old artist Yara Zuhod flipped through a book of drawings. “I don’t have the right to travel, to share my work,” she said.

Ms Lindsay Harris, co-director of Recess Art, said the nonprofit organisation considered that it could lose financial support for staging an exhibition on a politically sensitive topic. But when organisers reached out earlier in 2025, she found it difficult to say no.

“If these artists have the courage to continue their practice, then we can have the courage to be a platform for those stories,” Ms Harris said.

While the full New York exhibition ended on Sept 14, a selection of works will remain on view until Dec 20.