Brussels – An exhibition that gives children back their space. HeART of Gaza is a project launched by Mohammed Timraz – founder of the We Are Not Alone and HeART of Gaza projects, a survivor of the Gaza genocide and a PhD student in art therapy at the University of Parma – to provide an ‘art tent’ for the boys and girls of the Gaza Strip. What began as a single tent has, over time, grown into 17 locations across Gaza City and a partnership with the ‘We Are Not Alone’ initiative to distribute water, food, cash donations, medicines, clothing, and powdered milk. HeART of Gaza links fieldwork in Palestine with art exhibitions and international artistic exchanges to raise awareness of the genocide and show Gaza through the eyes of children. Their drawings have reached Brussels, at Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts, for the second edition of Children’s Rights Hub, the “children’s rights workshop”, organised on 21 May. Erasmus University lecturers Kaat Verhaeghe and Minne Huysmans took it upon themselves to bring HeART of Gaza to Brussels.
Eunews: What is the story behind this exhibition?
Kaat Verhaeghe: “Mohammed Timraz and Féile Butler wanted to bring hidden voices to the fore. The children decided to tell the story of what happened in Gaza – and what is still happening – through drawings. These children, deeply affected by the war, are often invisible and unheard. It’s not that they lack a voice; they have one. What is missing is an audience willing to listen. The exhibition was created together with them: they also had a say in which drawings could be used. From there, it was shared on social media, where it garnered a great deal of attention, and has now reached 90 countries across two continents. I saw the exhibition at the University of Bologna and then took it with me to Brussels. It is symbolic: the exhibition itself travels from country to country, and now it is here with us.”
E: How are your students reacting to the ongoing genocide in Gaza?
Minne Huysmans: “Initiatives like this forge connections that transcend borders. They strike a deep chord with many of our students, most of whom have a migrant background. They are invited to reflect personally on their own stories and origins. I believe they pose a question to us as professionals, researchers, and academics: What is our role in the face of genocide and conflict taking place far away? What are the implications for people’s daily lives in a specific context, such as Brussels? We contribute to our students’ education and, at the same time, learn from them. They are in the process of transitioning from young people to professionals, bringing the city’s diverse perspectives onto campus. This can create tensions, but it helps us all to reflect on our own position.”
The exhibition organisers tried for a long time to bring it to the European Parliament, but they were unsuccessful. The exhibition is now at a university. What does that say about its role?
M.H.: “There is always the institution – the university – which wants to welcome as many people as possible and is therefore very mindful of its position and role. There is this quest for neutrality. But at the same time, there is also the role we must assume as educators, researchers, and people who work with others and are interested in how society is shaped. I think the danger lies in seeing neutrality as saying nothing. By saying nothing, you are also saying something. Universities have a role in education and research, and a third role in taking a clearer stance guided by social justice and human rights. From this perspective, it becomes easy to say that yes, we too have a say.”
E: What was it like working with this type of material?
K.V.: “It moved me deeply; it is a subject that must be treated with the utmost respect. We must be sensitive to the children’s voices. They are not here, and some died during the genocide. We must not treat these works, these drawings, as a mere display. We cannot say ‘we are happy that the exhibition has come to us’. It is terrible that it is here and that there is a need to give it a platform. But we have a duty to amplify the children’s voices: we hope to do them justice.”
M.H.: “I am increasingly convinced that change comes about through the local community in which we work. We are bringing a story from another part of the world, but we are linking it to the reality experienced here. It is not easy, but I know that we are restoring humanity to events that concern us. I am convinced that our work is just as important as high-level political discussion and debate.”
