Oslo 2011







In this video, I insert Palestinian milk into Israeli supermarkets, and attempt to buy it. The Arabic packaging produced stupefied responses, ranging from disbelief to major security concerns.

According to the 1993 Oslo Accords, Israeli milk can be sold in Palestine, but Palestinian milk cannot be sold in Israel. In this work, the explosive politics of the Middle East hinge around a simple carton of milk. The fraught context of East Jerusalem transforms a symbol of maternal care into a toxic threat.

The title of this work refers to the Oslo Accords: a set of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. In principle, these marked the start of a new peace process, but have subsequently been criticised for their unilateral Israeli bias. The embargo placed on Palestinian milk is symbolic of this inequity.





Media : HD video
Exhibitions : Al-Mahatta Gallery (Ramallah), Qalandiya Biennale (Ramallah), The Concept Space (London), Solent Showcase (Southampton)






Mark