A photo and video exhibition opening in California offers a rarely seen perspective on life in Gaza, highlighting everyday moments of resilience and humanity amid ongoing conflict. The artwork, created by Palestinian visual artist and journalist Mariam Aburamadan, features images captured before she left Gaza in 2016 and aims to challenge prevailing media portrayals that focus primarily on violence and political tensions.
Aburamadan, who has not been able to return to Gaza since her departure, curated the exhibit titled “Remains in Memory” to share the ordinary aspects of life that persist despite hardship. The collection includes photos of children celebrating, a woman gazing at the sea, and a man enjoying a beverage during a sunset, alongside a short film composed of brief video clips originally posted to the social media platform Vine between 2014 and 2016. The film showcases vibrant cityscapes and scenes of daily activities such as children playing, music performances, swimming, and pottery-making, interspersed with images of destruction following the 2014 Gaza war.
Aburamadan described her work as a counter-narrative to mainstream depictions that often emphasize the conflict between Hamas and Israel. She stressed that while violence is a reality, there is more to Gaza’s story, including moments of tranquility and normalcy that are frequently overlooked. “People imagine Gaza is just destruction and people crying. No one imagines that we’re humans who have daily lives, who go out to the sea, laugh, eat, and walk on the streets,” she said.
The artist’s personal connection to the photographs is heightened by the fact that many of the locations and people she documented may no longer exist. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations have reportedly damaged or destroyed over 80% of Gaza’s structures and resulted in more than 74,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Aburamadan reflected on how the blockade imposed by Israel since 2007 and restrictions from Gaza’s Hamas government shaped both her decision to leave and the scope of her artistic expression.
One photograph included in the exhibit, titled “The Last Morning,” captures fleeing refugees shortly before Aburamadan exited Gaza via Egypt. She described the image as particularly meaningful, symbolizing the final moments of her time in her hometown.
The exhibit is hosted by Autonomous Gallery in Vallejo, California, under the direction of gallery owner Zachary Seth Greer. The gallery, known for openly supporting Palestinian causes, secured funding to produce high-quality framed prints of the photographs, which are available for purchase in limited editions. Greer characterized the show as part of a broader commitment to struggles against colonialism and for Palestinian sovereignty.
For Aburamadan, the exhibition represents both a personal milestone and a responsibility to share her experiences. “To see these photos printed in large sizes, I feel very emotional; I always go back to my memories,” she said. “I’m happy to be sharing this because part of my job and responsibility is to share as much as I can about my experience.”