Artist:

Jane Frere

Partners:

Welfare Association

Text

“Return of the Soul” was part of an international artistic project exploring and documenting the neglected history of Palestine during the late 1940s. The Nakbah project, largely sponsored by the Palestinian Welfare Association, was led by Scottish artist Jane Frere. The artwork was a multi-dimensional installation of 3,000 wax figures, suspended in the air by clear nylon thread, and positioned at a raked angle across the space, giving the illusion of depth and motion representing the forced departure of Palestinians in the 1948 exodus. Sound, sculpture, and scripted testimonies escort the figures. The work was produced by young Palestinian artists trained by Frere, who then conducted educational workshops in refugee camps in Palestine and the region to enable youth to creatively express their sense of loss, to explore their heritage and identity, and to connect with other Palestinian refugees. The exhibition traveled to the Arab countries, Europe (featured in the Edinburgh Art Festival), and worldwide after its Palestine premier.