Santa´s Ghetto

Sam3

Santa's Ghetto is probably the world's most low-concept art event.

Every year we assemble a loose collection of the great unwashed to hawk their artistic wares on the high street amongst the mindless sham and drudgery of the christmas season. This year we've moved out of Oxford Street into a former chicken shop on Manger Square in Bethlehem opposite the Church of the Nativity (where Santa Claus was actually born).

This puts us one mile behind the security wall in a part of the world ravaged by conflict, poverty and dust. Just the place, you'd think, that's desperate to check out the latest five-colour deckled edge screen prints coming out of East London.

You can watch the whole sorry thing unravel on-line but you're particularly welcome to come out and visit in person (you're probably far less likely to get randomly stabbed on the way home than you were last year).
The Show

Eva

Bethlehem is one of the most contentious places on earth.

Perched at the edge of the Judaen desert at the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa in the state of Palestine it was governed by the British following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. After World War II the United Nations voted to partition the region into two states - one Jewish, one Arab and there’s been fighting ever since.

It’s obviously not the job of a loose collection of idiot doodlers to tell you what’s right or wrong about this situation, so you’re advised to do further reading yourself (this month’s National Geographic has an excellent article all about Bethlehem).

We would like to make it very clear Santa’s Ghetto is not allied to ANY race, creed, religion, political organization or lobby group. As an organisation the only thing we’ll say on behalf of our artists is that we don’t speak on behalf of our artists. This show simply offers the ink-stained hand of friendship to ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.

Every shekel made in the store will be used on local projects for children and young people. Not one cent will go to any political groups, governmental institutions or, in fact, any grown-ups at all.

Salaam.

The Point

Bansky

Paul Insect

Bansky

Erica il Cane and Sam3

Bansky

This wall marks the spot where over 40 people were killed during the first Intafada (the little holes along the top are from bullets).
While Banksy was painting it a lot of people came over, some to shake his hand and others telling him to go away. Eventually the local MP was called out to diffuse the eighty-strong crowd that had built up (by which time Banksy had left and the piece was completed by the local kids).

Faile

Sam3

via • more