The Electronic Intifada 11 May 2019
Majdi Abu Taqiyeh, 40, got the idea of making sculptures out of Israeli bullets when his brother was shot during the Great March of Return demonstrations along Gaza’s eastern boundary.
Israeli snipers have killed more than 200 Palestinians since the demonstrations started in March last year.
“I chose the occupation’s bullets as a medium to work with so they become messages to the world,” Abu Taqiyeh told The Electronic Intifada.
“I wanted to make human figures out of bullets to represent the lives of martyrs who died from those bullets and others who were injured.”
Ahmad Abu Ataya, 47, makes prayer beads, flower pots and canes out of tear gas canisters he collects during demonstrations.
“If this life isn’t ours, it’ll be for our children,” says Abu Ataya. “We go to the boundary fence for our rights so we can live.”
Abu Ataya says his art “is proof of life.”
“The Israelis throw death at us, and we make life out of death.”
Video by Ruwaida Amer and Sanad Ltefa.
Correction:
The subtitles on minute 2:23 should read:
Nearly 4000 tear gas canisters
ما يقرب من ٤٠٠٠ قنبلة غاز المسيل للدموع
