This message of this idea portrays the suffering of the Holy Family, the first Palestinian refugee family that also suffered from oppression, rejection, and displacement, and was exposed to the first historical “Nakba” when they fled to Egypt after the birth of Jesus Christ.
In this work, all historical Christmas figures were costumed to depict the human scene with feelings and messages that would not be able to express the massive destruction and systematic genocide against the Palestinian people by colonialism and all its allies throughout the ages and different time periods.
The appearance of Virgin Mary this time is embracing Christ in a way similar to the way mothers of martyrs do, while Joseph is embracing her for consolation despite of grief and sorrow…
The angels hanging around the rubble are the souls of Palestinian children, martyrs of repeated massacres throughout history, starting with the killing of the children of Bethlehem city by Herod at the birth of Jesus Christ, passing through all the historical massacres by all colonial parties against the Palestinian people and their ancestors, all the way to the occupation’s massacres nowadays against Palestinians in Gaza.
As for the Magi, this year he will not carry gold, frankincense, or myrrh, but rather a white grave clothes. The shepherd who followed the angel’s sign to confirm his good news, came looking for the baby in the cave who was swaddled in wraps, “And this is the sign for you:
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12), then was forced to evacuate the cave and walk away, carrying in his hand a bundle “bugja” of the Palestinian Exodus.
Art work idea and execution by
Palestinian artist Tariq Salsa
