Street artists celebrate graffiti of resistance in Palestine and Ireland on 15 & 16 October

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday October 15, 2010 08:17 by Freda H - IPSC

The wall that Israel has built in Palestinian territory is more than a barrier -- it’s also a focus for popular art.

Graffiti in the form of words and images have transformed the wall into a living canvas of resistance and solidarity, created not only by Palestinians but also by international artists.

Photo by Barra Hammilton

London-based photo-journalist William Parry will be in Ireland next week to launch his new book, Against the Wall – The Art of Resistance in Palestine, a stunning collection of photographs of the art on the wall. See some examples here: http://pulsemedia.org/2010/07/20/images-from-against-th...wall/

Featuring the work of artists including Banksy, Ron E...nglish, Blu and others, as well as Palestinian artists and activists, these photos express outrage, compassion, and touching humour.

They illustrate the wall's toll on lives and livelihoods, showing the hardship it has brought to tens of thousands of people, preventing their access to work, education and vital medical care.

Mixed with the photos are portraits and vignettes, offering a heartfelt and inspiring account of a people determined to uphold their dignity in the face of profound injustice.

To celebrate the book launch, artists will gather to create new works of solidarity, inspired by Parry’s book, on walls in Dublin and Cork. These new works will be created at the following locations and times:

Dublin: Friday 15th October, 3pm, The Bernard Shaw, South Richmond Street

Cork: Saturday 16th October, 3pm, Fionn Barra's, Douglas Street

Following these events, the book launches will take place:

Dublin: Friday 15th October, 6.30pm, Connolly Books, 43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar

(Followed by a function in The Bernard Shaw, South Richmond Street from 8.30pm)

Cork: Saturday 16th October, 2pm, Solidarity Books, Douglas Street

Signed copies of the book and of prints from it will be available at these events.

William Parry will be available for phone interview before his visit and images from his book are also available for publication.

Work in progress at The Bernard Shaw Photo by Kev Squires