The Little Prince of Gaza: Exhibition Memorializes Children Killed in Conflict

In December 2023, the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF) in Beirut, in partnership with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, West Bank, launched an exhibition titled The Little Prince of Gaza. This exhibit honors over 8,500 Palestinian children aged 0-18 who have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and the resulting Israeli military actions. A highlight of the exhibition is Chaouki Choukini's bronze sculpture, Small Prince: Child of Gaza (2010), which stands over a meter tall and employs cubist techniques to reflect the trauma and resilience of Gaza's youth. Curated by Wafa Roz with contributions from Boushra Batlouni, the exhibition challenges mainstream Western media narratives that frame civilian deaths as collateral damage, drawing connections to Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince to critique realpolitik. Featured artists include Abdelrahman Al Muzayen, Mohamed Arejdal, and Imad Abu Shtayyah, with the sculpture serving as a beacon of hope and endurance.