Literature

The word "gauze" holds a powerful resonance with collective histories, inseparable from the corporeal experience. Historically used in ancient and modern medicine for bodily envelopment, gauze signals the initiation of the act of repair. Serving as a visual announcement, it bears witness to injuries hidden from view. Known as "ــــــــــــــــــاﺷش" (shash) in Arabic, the English name "gauze" finds its etymological roots in the city of Gaza, Palestine, where the material has been historically crafted and from where Harb originates.

Hazem Harb's early connection with the material dates back to his childhood in Gaza in 2004, where he employed gauze as an artistic medium akin to canvas. Not originally intended for artistic purposes, gauze transformed into a creative outlet and an instrument of resistance for Harb amid the suffering of his people during his formative years.

Throughout Harb's artistic career, gauze has emerged as a recurrent resource. He utilised it for Burned Bodies, a video installation created during his art studies at Città dell'Altra Economia Roma in Italy in 2008.

Decades later, Harb revisits gauze in these works as a medium to excavate untold stories from his city, shedding light on the genocide of his people. Informed by the global dissemination of real-time imagery on social media in 2023, this body of work reexamines the original site and material, offering a fresh perspective. Harb reflects on his early works with gauze, exploring the transformative power of reflection and imagination in charting an emancipatory future.

This installation focuses on gauze as a central element in Harb's compositions. The ethereal vision transcends conventional imagery and social media visuals since October 7th, offering a commentary on the wrapping of Palestinian children's corpses in Gaza. In this context, gauze becomes a precursor to the kafan, the white cloth that traditionally shrouds bodies before burial. Through this poignant work, Harb transforms the medium into his message, bringing the distant into an intimate space and compelling his audience to confront the harsh realities faced by Palestinians.

In Harb's words:

"This artwork transcends aesthetics; it encapsulates a narrative of both individual and collective experience the body emerging from the rubble and debris, symbolising the raw vulnerability that accompanies loss.

The gauze, traditionally associated with healing, becomes a paradoxical medium. It evokes fragility while simultaneously embodying an indomitable strength, a duality that resonates deeply with those who have witnessed the cycles of demolition and construction that define urban existence. Each fold and layer of the gauze tells a story of survival, of lives intertwined with the fate of a city that has endured countless transformations, both physical and emotional.

As the body rises, it immortalises the spirit of a place that has seen joy and sorrow, hope and despair. This memorial is not just a reflection of the past; it serves as a reminder of the strength that can flourish amidst adversity. This work invites us to confront the complexities of existence - the space and exchange between life and death."