A new exhibition showcasing the work of contemporary Palestinian photography and video has opened at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney.
Beyond the Last Sky presents a snapshot of contemporary Palestinian art, which has increasingly moved away from documentary work to more experimental forms. This is the first exhibition in Australia solely dedicated to contemporary Palestinian photography and video.
The exhibition takes its name from the verse ‘where will the birds fly after the last sky’ in Mahmoud Darwish’s poem The Earth is Closing on Us and Edward Said’s book After the Last Sky, 1986.
Interestingly, many images in Beyond the Last Sky use critical humour to express ideas about Palestinian culture, politics and identity.
Organisers say the exhibition, "offers opportunities for audiences to gain new insight into the depth and breadth of Palestinian experience, inviting them to look at Palestine from an unconventional, playful and engaging perspective."
Beyond the Last Sky has been created in a partnership between the Australian Centre for Photography and the National Institute for Experimental Arts (NIEA), College of Fine Arts (COFA), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is supported by Cultural Media.
Still from A Space Exodus, 2009. Image by Larissa Sansour.
