M HKA, Antwerp

INBOX presents several series of works by children from Gaza, brought together by the HOPE Foundation. The Before & Now series presents works about dreams, made in August 2023 by young people from Khan Younis — a town in the south of the Gaza Strip. Since the events of 7 October 2023 and their aftermath, the meaning of these works has changed profoundly. A year on, the same children — if they could be reached — each made a new work. The works offer a window into the effects of the genocide on the mental state of children in Gaza. The project is an initiative of the HOPE Foundation and the Palettes of Palestine collective. 

The presentation also includes a series made in collaboration with art teacher Ali, affiliated with the HOPE Foundation. For his Genocidal Gaps (2024), he spoke with children about what they miss most – using photographs of their surroundings to let them tell their own stories. Holland Office for Personal Encouragement (HOPE) was founded over thirty years ago in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Khan Younis. It began with the establishment of the Open Studio — a space where twelve teachers and a diverse group of children with trauma, disabled and non-disabled alike, found a home and shaped their world through artistic projects. Over the years, HOPE has grown to encompass six permanent projects, alongside numerous one-off initiatives and creative summer camps. Since October 2023, the world has looked entirely different. Yet artists and teachers continue to launch new projects, searching through the rubble for what remains possible. HOPE currently supports eight teams in Gaza organising activities for children — among them a travelling arts festival and a primary school for 500 pupils. This INBOX presentation forms part of the public programme accompanying the exhibition we refuse_d and the Nomadic Monument for Gaza.