GAZA, the future has an ancient heart

The exhibition is the result of an important international synergy between the Merz Foundationthe Egyptian Museum in Turin and the MAH - Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève, with the fundamental support of the State of Palestine. This exhibition project aims to restore the deep historical density of Gaza, describing it as a millennial crossroads of trade, cultural encounters and religious stratifications. The aim is to remove the territory from a narrative tied exclusively to current events, inviting the visitor to reflect on the cultural heritage as a pillar of identity and collective memory.

The exhibition route puts into dialogue about eighty archaeological finds, ranging from’Bronze Age until Ottoman period, with visions of famous contemporary artists such as Samaa Emad, Mirna Bamieh, Khalil Rabah, Vivien Sansour, Wael Shawky, Dima Srouji e Akram Zaatari. The works of art and ancient artefacts coexist with a selection of historical photographs from the archive of the’UNRWA, offering an unprecedented look at a civilisation that has seen the passage of peoples and cultures in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Findings from Gaza, part of a collection temporarily held at Geneva, represent the symbol of a museum project that remained unfinished due to conflict. The exhibition boldly tackles the theme of destruction of heritage, understood not only as a loss of monuments, but as a wound inflicted on the people who are the guardians of that heritage. In this context, the Merz Foundation by Turin becomes the ideal space to protect and pass on the memory of a civilisation that does not want to give in to oblivion.