Art for Palestine Returns

Art for Palestine returns with a multidisciplinary program in Lisbon

Three days dedicated to culture, resistance, and solidarity from October 9th to 11th, with free admission at Casa do Comum.
Art for Palestine returns to the capital from October 9th to 11th, transforming Lisbon into a space for encounters, resistance, and solidarity. This second edition is spread across several venues—Casa do Comum, Auditório Camões, Teatro do Bairro, and Outra Cena—and officially begins on October 8th with a soft opening, featuring the national premiere of the film "All That's Left of You," by Palestinian director Cherien Dabis, an influential name in international cinema and author of recognized works in television and film.

Over three days, the event offers a multidisciplinary program that intersects music, cinema, visual arts, theater, debate, gastronomy, and creative workshops. One of the biggest projects of Arte Pela Palestina is the charity auction of works by Portuguese and international artists, including artists such as Akacorleone, Fernanda Fragateiro, Gabriela Albergaria, Cristina Branco, Isabel Abreu, André Letria, Wasted Rita, Cristina Sampaio, Rita Red Shoes, Luca Argel, Luísa Sobral, Mantraste, Scuru Fitchadu, and Sanja Vrzic & Diogo Pereira, among others. All proceeds go to humanitarian organizations working in Palestine, reinforcing the project's interventionist dimension.

In terms of music, the program of concerts and DJ sets features a diversity of genres and generations. The public can enjoy mini-concerts by Benjamim, Carlos Bica & Gonçalo Neto, Orca, Tiago Gomes & Flak, as well as presentations and performances by Handala Dabke, Joana Craveiro, and Leonor Keil. DJ sets and mixing desks feature Jorge Caiado b2b Bernardo Vaz, Luís Varatojo, Mãe Dela, Selecta Alice, and Violet b2b Wugori, creating diverse soundscapes across the various partner venues.

At the cinema, in addition to the soft opening, there will be two screenings of Palestinian short films: one in partnership with Levante Cineclube, dedicated to films directed by women, and another curated by the DIY Museum x Bay2Gaza's Solidarity Cinema #1, featuring works such as "Mnemosyne." The Camões Auditorium hosts the performance "Love in the Time of Apartheid" by Palestinian choreographer and dancer Sharaf DarZaid, accompanied by Maen El Ghoul, exploring the dilemmas of occupation through the art of movement. In the theater, a highlight is the staged reading of "The Gaza Monologues" by Ashtar Theatre, presented by Rafael Balão and performed by a large cast, including names such as Cláudia Semedo, Filipe Vargas, Flávia Gusmão, Teresa Sobral, Tânia Alves, Cleo Diara, and Joaquim de Almeida, among others.

The exhibitions bring together dozens of artists and span the Casa do Comum (Common House), Museu da Preguiça (Sloth Museum), and other adjacent spaces. In partnership with the Insana collective, which preserves heritage and amplifies voices from the Levant, the artistic section presents works that intersect Palestine with the realities of Lebanon and Portugal, highlighting the role of women in the construction of memory and identity.

In the gastronomy field, there will be Palestinian cooking workshops led by Manar Aali, as well as traditional dinners open to the public, inviting visitors to experience the flavors and hospitality of Palestine. In the creative workshops, the public can participate in fanzine, ceramics, embroidery, and illustration workshops with artists such as Alexandre Esgaio, Clara Rego, Ana Carmela, and Catarina Sobral. Mosca Estúdio offers a traditional DIY screen printing workshop daily.
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