The Artnauts Collective was invited to participate in the ART & RESISTANCE Conference at Dar Al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, Palestine in May 2016. We proposed an art exhibition of art by members of the Artnauts Collective. The original proposal was to exhibit art addressing this theme by artists from the United States. This initial idea was immediately expanded to include Palestinian artists from Gaza, the West Bank, and the diaspora. In addition, several art students at Dar Al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture joined us by exhibiting art on the same theme at the conference. All were included in this exhibition.
The artwork varies in subject matter because artists were not restricted in how they would visually respond to our theme -- “art and resistance.” Individual experiences would determine their responses. The objective was to address “resistance” from multiple points of view expressing multiple realities. Hopefully, understanding and empathy would result.