63 Artists 4 Palestine
There is still quietness underneath shady fruit trees. The smell of lavender floats above the hot sand. The atmosphere of the city reflects the man who bears its name. The neighborhood is named Sheikh Jarrah. The name means a venerable man and healer. The neighborhood received its name in the 13th century. Today, its residents face eviction from the Supreme Court of Israel and the threat of airstrikes from the Israeli Air Force. This neighborhood is a snapshot of the Israeli occupation in Palestine that began in 1947.
Lebanese visual artist, Hussein El Kebbi, remembers the sounds of airstrikes and bombs as early as the age of six. His mother and sister still live in Lebanon. Behind every news story and Twitter headline, there are people that have been living in terror for generations on both sides of the occupation. This is not only in Palestine and Israel but also in Palestine’s neighboring country Lebanon. Hussein’s home will always be Lebanon. Now, he is studying animation in Turkey.
Though, Hussein was now physically away from his family in Lebanon. He still carries the memories of living within the reach of apartheid. As a 21-year old student in search of answers, he looked toward his passion for art. Just 2 months prior, Beeple’s digital artwork “Everyday's: The First 5000 Days” sold for $69.3 million at Christie’s. This caught Hussein’s attention. Hussein wondered if NFTs, a revolutionary technology, could be a tool at a time when he had a desire to push his art further. Hussein decided to spearhead an international community of artists to symbolize solidarity with Palestine. In a tweet, Hussein sent out a call to action for artists to take part in a humanitarian art NFT for Palestinian medical aid.
Here is his tweet from May 17, 2021:
The current turn of political events makes “63 Artists For Palestine” (63 Artists) a historical art piece. The collaborative humanitarian art NFT highlights the importance of human solidarity art to the art world. 63 Artists speak for the spirit and mood of this time in history. Art has a way of sketching out the soft and hard edges of the human condition. The purpose behind 63 Artists is particularly significant as the global art community finds itself at the gates of a digital art renaissance. 63 Artists communicate a disciplined, yet playful attempt at civilizing humanity's reflection through solidarity. Earlier this year NFTs took Christie’s by storm, now blockchain-based art technology is eager to play a role in international diplomacy. All proceeds (eth) from “63 Artist For Palestine” will be donated to the nonprofit organization MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians).
The piece “63 Artists For Palestine” is available for bidding on August 23th. 63 Artists For Palestine” will be available to collectors on Opensea. All proceeds from this will fund medical supplies for Palestine. You can continue to support this humanitarian movement by sharing the link to purchase on Open Sea or this tweet with the hashtag #634AP.
Official Press Release of Dakar Gallery. Press release by Opera Sneaker the official Agency of #634AP.
Dakar is an emerging digital auction house and marketplace for art and NFTs. Opera Sneaker is an Atlanta-based Web3 Arts collective, art fund, and NFT art agency. Join Dakar’s growing community on Discord, Instagram, and Twitter. Follow Hussein’s art story Instagram and Twitter. For more resources on how to support Palestine relief, go here.
