Manar Idrissi's Archive of Erasure Documents Cultural Genocide in Gaza
Manar Idrissi, a Palestinian curator, is creating the Archive of Erasure to document the ongoing destruction of Palestinian cultural sites, which she describes as cultural genocide. Her focus is on Gaza, where she emphasizes the bombing of art studios and the loss of artists' lives. On July 11, 2025, she took part in the Alto el foc solidarity initiative at La Escocesa artist residency in Barcelona, leading a workshop centered on Palestinian art. Idrissi has amassed more than 2,000 images showcasing the devastation of artworks in Gaza. Her research outlines five political contexts for Palestinian art, noting a shift in Gaza's artistic output due to the siege. She is discussing a digital archive with the Palestinian Museum and advocates for greater support from the global art community.
Key facts
- Manar Idrissi is a Palestinian curator and researcher based in Jerusalem.
- Her project Archive of Erasure documents the systematic destruction of Palestinian cultural spaces.
- She participated in the Alto el foc solidarity program at La Escocesa in Barcelona on July 11, 2025.
- Idrissi has collected over 2,000 images of destroyed artworks from Gaza.
- She defines cultural genocide as an attack on the material and symbolic structures that allow Palestinians to narrate their identity across time.
- Her research frames Palestinian art across five political spaces: Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank, the 1948 occupied territories, and exile.
- She is developing an exhibition concept featuring new works inspired by lost symbols, not recreations.
- Idrissi is in conversation with the Palestinian Museum about building a digital archive.
Entities
Artists
- Manar Idrissi
- Carolina Ciuti
- Noor Abed
- Ismail Shammout
- Fathi Ghaben
- Mohammed Joha
- Mohammed Juha
Institutions
- La Escocesa
- TEJA
- Shababek for Contemporary Art
- Palestinian Museum
- Al Hoash – The Palestinian Art Court
- United Nations
- French consulate
- exibart.es
Locations
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Gaza
- Palestine
- Jerusalem
- West Bank
- Lebanon
- Jordan
- Syria
- Marseille
- France
- Bethlehem
- Nablus
- Ramallah
- Jabalia