Palo Gallery (New York) is pleased to present Longing: In Between Homelands, a group photography exhibition featuring the work of Ameen Abo Kaseem, Nadia Bseiso and Lina Khalid. Each of these artists, living in exile, offers deeply personal explorations of their Palestinian identities, longing for their homeland, and reflections on the complexities of borders and belonging. Born from their projects We Deserved a Better Time on this Earth (Kaseem), Infertile Crescent (Bseiso), and To Look Over there is a Sin (Khalid), their images provide unique perspectives on the layered experience of displacement, conflict and survival, illuminating the intersection of personal narrative and broader historical forces.
Nadia Bseiso (b. 1985) is a Palestinian-Jordanian documentary photographer based in Amman. Her work explores themes inspired by research into history, geopolitics, and mythology, which then transform into visual narratives. In her long-term project Infertile Crescent, Bseiso uses the motif of water to symbolize both scarcity and survival, reflecting the enduring impact of conflict in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her images capture the landscapes and everyday lives of people living near the borders of the Fertile Crescent, highlighting the ongoing struggles for land and resources. In Hot Springs, Bseiso depicts four children submerged in a small pool, alluding to the dual significance of water as both a scarce resource and a symbol of freedom and hope. Her series Longing: In Between Homelands portrays Jordanian villages situated along man-made borders, documenting communities grappling with the challenges of geopolitical conflict, water shortages, and an uncertain future where the next war may be over water.
Ameen Abo Kaseem (b. 1998) is a Palestinian-Syrian documentary photographer, based in Beirut. Kaseem’s work captures the tension between everyday concerns and those brought on by political conflict and uncertainty, often juxtaposing both states within a single work. Through intimate portraits and scenes of life in exile, Abo Kaseem explores themes of survival, resilience, and the ways in which 30 individuals navigate a world shaped by war and uncertainty. His images are often paired with text, such as What are you scared from? Death? No, I’m afraid from being left behind and I wonder: if I were born on the other side of the world, would I be in this same moment?, offering poignant reflections on displacement, time and identity.
Lina Khalid (b. 1991) is a Palestinian-Jordanian Photographer and Filmmaker, born in Amman. Khalid’s work often explores themes of personal identity and the complexities of life, intertwining personal nostalgia with broader geopolitical tensions. Growing up as a Palestinian refugee in Jordan, Khalid would visit the Dead Sea with her family, where the landscape offered views of Palestine from afar. In her work
Looking Over There is a Sin, Lina portrays the Dead Sea in soft black-and-white tones, symbolizing a distant hope and the painful proximity of home. Despite its peaceful appearance, her photographs are marked by the presence of man-made borders: fences, watchtowers, and other signs of the physical and psychological divisions imposed on refugees.
This exhibition features artists from the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP), which is a joint initiative of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Magnum Foundation, and the Prince Claus Fund. The ADPP provides mentorship and resources to photographers from across the Middle East and North Africa.
Press release from Palo Gallery
Image: Lina Khalid. Lonely Beach. 2024. Image courtesy of the artist
