Through the Olive Trees (Younis)
Dye-sublimation on synthetic chiffon, 104 cm x 66 cm (41 in x 26 in), 2024
This work is part of a larger ongoing project that explores memory, family and retrieval. It examines how memory is shaped, altered and remembered through time and the act of retrieval. In the same way, The Lost Paintings seeks to reclaim what was taken by displacement, engaging with what is missing, what is imagined and what remains. Through the Olive Trees, speaks about resilience through time, with the olive tree as a witness, holding and caring for the memories of the land for centuries. Maghathe reaches into the past for these memories—some that never held a place, some that are still felt. They retrieve them by searching through the olive trees.
Noel Maghathe is a Palestinian-American multidisciplinary artist and curator. Their practice is deeply rooted in their heritage, searching for home within the body and memory. Through sculpture, performance, and light, Magathe explores themes of identity, cultural memory, and longing. Their exhibitions and performances include the Abrons Arts Center, Art League Houston, Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, 21C Museum, Mizna + RAWIfest in the United States as well as internationally in MMAG Foundation, Jordan; SPACE HUB, Palestine; Kino Club, Finland; and Sawtooth ARI, Tasmania.