Who Are We ?
The Palestinian Children Memorial Organization
Who we are: The Palestinian Children Memorial organization was founded by the Washington, D.C.-based conceptual artist Pamela Zulli. The group comprises visual and sonic artists and non-artists who come together to create environmental installations. The objective is to engage the viewer’s senses, emotions, memories and thoughts to evoke a response to the genocide occurring in Gaza.
Our Goal.
The goal of the Palestinian Children Memorial organization is to fulfill the vision of Arthur Ashe, “to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”
Our Inspiration.
The initial project of the Palestinian Children’s Memorial organization is the “A Child’s Hand” installation. The work was inspired by the people of Gaza, who, at the height of the Israeli bombing of Gaza, wrote their children’s names on the child’s hand, arm, or leg so that their bodies could be identified and buried with their families.
“A Child’s Hand”.
The central visual image of the installation was thousands of children’s hands rising from the earth. The hands stamped on 6,000 4-inch x 6-inch Palestinian flags. The name of a dead child is written on each hand. Over 50 people worked to create the flags.
“Say Their Names”.
In the spirit of the “Say Their Names” movement, the audio installation included the reading of the names of the slain Palestinian children. Over 250 children and adults contributed their voices.
Liberating the souls of the children.
“A Child’s Hand” uses the visual impact of 3,500 flags combined with the sonic effect of 18,500 names to evoke empathy and provoke the viewer to action. The installation is designed to liberate the souls of the children printed on the flags by allowing them to float and move with the wind, a wind that carries their names into the world. This freedom is the essence of the installation.
“A Child’s Hand” is on the move.
The Palestinian Children Memorial organization is working with other groups to adapt, update, and display “A Child’s Hand” throughout North America. It is also making plans to mount Pamela Zulli’s new installation using direct and reflected light and sound.
Our Hope.
We hope that the installations help to bring the reality of the tragedy in Gaza to the viewers and connect them with the Palestinian people. It is also our hope that this small gesture will lead to larger ones that expose the connections between the violence in Gaza and I.C.E. violence in the U.S., as well as the genocidal conflicts occurring throughout the world. We live in a connected world, and no one will have peace and justice until we are all free.
