REVIEW: "The Jerusalem Show VII: Fractures" @ Old City, Jerusalem
Jerusalem, with the walled, Old City as its nucleus, embodies extreme instances of contradiction: religious sanctity and widespread racism; archaeology and cultural erasure; transnational wealth and local poverty; and mass tourism despite military occupation. It is the symbol of quintessential holiness, even while its indigenous inhabitants face an unrelenting campaign of ethnic cleansing. These toxic contradictions give rise to the title of “The Jerusalem Show VII: Fractures,” which was curated by Basak Senova at al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art. The exhibition, part of the Qalandiya International art biennial, presented the research and works of over 55 artists and curators, connecting the United States, Palestine, Turkey, Norway, Cyprus, Romania, Nigeria, South Korea and many other locations, through site-specific installations, screenings, books and performances. The displays were split up into “chapters” and scattered across various buildings in the Christian quarter, not far from the New Gate of the Old City.
