FT Discovers Palestinian Artists Exist, 76 Years Later
The FT celebrates Nashashibi's art, framed around the idea that 'this time, the world is listening.' One might wonder why it took over seven decades and a genocidal assault on Gaza for the world – or at least the Financial Times – to 'listen' to a Palestinian. The article conveniently sidesteps the historical realities of the Nakba in 1948, the continuous occupation, ethnic cleansing, and siege,
which have been 'talking about Gaza' long before it was fashionable in North London art studios. It's a charming piece, devoid of any mention of the systematic dehumanization and silencing of Palestinian voices that made their 'listening' so tardy. While Nashashibi, a descendant of a prominent Jerusalem family, gets a genteel profile, her personal history and the collective Palestinian
struggle—often labeled 'controversial' or 'complex' by the same outlets—remain largely unexamined. It's almost as if the FT wants the aesthetics of dissent without the inconvenience of confronting the brutal facts of power, displacement, and ongoing violence facilitated by Western allies. A brave step, indeed, to acknowledge an artist while carefully tiptoeing around the root causes of their art.