Exhibition opening: 8 November, 6 pm

The CERA PROJECT and Forum Arte Braga are pleased to present Land After Art, the first solo exhibition in Portugal by Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar. This multidisciplinary exhibition, curated by Inês Valle, features a selection of artworks created by the artist since 2012–photography, sculpture, films, NFTs –, until his latest projects of 2024, Philistine Perfume – an installation of 100 perfume clay bottles and Unknown Olive Oil – an installation of sixty clay bottles made during his summer art residency at the clay master studio of João Lourenço in Barcelos, Portugal.

This exhibition presents the artistic work of Jarrar, a multidisciplinary artist, and a storyteller of his homeland who uses the power of art to share modern power struggles and their sociocultural impact on ordinary citizens. Land After Art invites the public to witness the artist’s journey in bringing a dream to life–the 2016 acquisition of a small farmland with olive trees in his village of Kobar, a just 25-minute car drive from Ramallah. 

The story, shared at this exhibition started in 2012, when the artist began chiselling concrete from the Separation Wall in the West Bank. He transformed these concrete fragments into everyday leisure objects, such as ping-pong racquets, football, sports objects, and traditional Jerusalem bread, called Ka’ek Al-Quds. These common lighthearted objects, rendered in concrete, evoke aggression and discomfort, highlighting how the border’s presence seeps into daily life, reshaping personal experiences. By recontextualizing the Apartheid Wall as Art, the artist challenges its perceived permanence and invites the public to see it from a fresh perspective, questioning its role and impact. With the proceeds from selling these concrete sculptures, he stored the cash in his fridge, until he was able to buy this land, after over 7 years, inspired by his grandmother Shafiqa’s saying, "Whatever you sow, you reap", he worked with local farmers to help him to revitalize the barren soil and sad trees using goat dung and manual labour, until in November 2022, this care yielded 110 litres of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Jarrar sees this as a transformation process—turning dung into fertile soil, olive fruit, and finally, olive oil into art, where the latest will now be part of the installation “Unknown Olive Oil”, which he plans to sell as a limited special edition, allowing people to experience the essence of Kobar's trees and the love of the land, free from walls. Therefore, Land After Art embraces the profound symbolism of the olive tree and olive oil. Both are emblematic of the steadfast resistance of the Palestinian people, and these symbols will take centre stage as conduits of the show. 

This exhibition aims to stimulate synergies, transcending artistic boundaries while blending cultural perspectives, potentially resulting in a transformative artistic narrative. The artworks address themes such as war-torn landscapes, which carry their social dynamics and are shaped by specific legal mechanisms. By tracing the history of olive trees as powerful symbols in the occupied landscape of the West Bank, the exhibition invites reflection on how Israel's ongoing annexation plan manifests in the land. Through this exploration of colonization and national identity, the works examine how these factors intertwine with the landscape, often serving as a form of 'natural justification,' transforming something inherent in nature into a political statement. Then perhaps we should view the land as a microcosm and pieces of evidence of the contradictory kinships between nature and humans, filled with personal stories and human-geographical narratives. Moreover, we could appreciate the land as Khaled Jarrar sees it—a magnificent work of art that we often forget holds both beauty and significance.

This exhibition and art residency are part of the 2023–2026 Cera Project’s program, Territories, Resistance, Freedom. It is presented in partnership with Forum Arte Braga and with support from InvestBraga, Wilde Gallery and the Portuguese Ministry of Culture through the DGArtes programme.

« Growing up in occupied Palestine, I learned a lot about love, land, nature, and the significance of olive trees. Olive oil was not only a nutritious foodstuff: it was a substance we burned in lamps, an ingredient we used to make soap, and so much more. In late October and early November, my grandmother would take me out into the fields to harvest olives by hand. The work was tough; the landowner gave us half the yield as payment.»

– Khaled Jarrar, in Concrete for your eyes, Olive Oil for your mouth. 

« Imagine living in a “non-place” and “non-space”, calling “home” a place that does not appear on the political map; with no legal rights, no sovereignty or control over its land and natural resources; where you cannot rely on security or political forces to protect or defend your rights as a citizen. Can you imagine living in such occupied land? »

– extract from the exhibition essay by the curator Inês Valle.