Rooted

Site-specific installations across Bethlehem, Beit Jala – Area C, Palestine, 2019. Collaboration and site-specific performances with Palestinian contemporary dancer Natalie Salsa.

The idea for this installation was born during my first visit to the city of Bethlehem in the winter of 2018. After a few days, I became aware of the constant presence of wind across the hills surrounding the city. This natural element became central to the conception of the work, leading me to create an installation that could move, react, and exist in direct dialogue with the environment. After this first experience in Palestine, I was deeply affected by what I witnessed.

“Back in Italy, I was left with many emotions and questions. One word kept resonating in my mind: ‘Palestine’. I wanted to affirm that it is, and will always remain, Palestine. I developed the idea and decided to return. This installation was created during my second visit a few months later, in the summer of 2019, as a simple gesture and a gift to a larger cause—one that has touched my heart through its resilience and truth.”

Since the occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967, large-scale changes have taken place, including the demolition of tens of thousands of Palestinian homes, the confiscation of vast areas of land, and the expansion of Israeli settlements—civilian communities built by Israeli citizens in the occupied Palestinian territories and considered illegal under international law—across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Under international law, such settlements are widely regarded as illegal and are classified by the International Criminal Court as a potential war crime.

Today, Bethlehem is almost entirely surrounded by these settlements and risks being further cut off from the southern West Bank.

The installations were placed in three strategic locations: within the city of Bethlehem, along the separation wall, and in various spots in Beit Jala (Area C, under full Israeli civil and security control). The work consists of a vertical pole with multiple arrows attached to it. These arrows rotate freely around the structure when the wind blows. On each arrow, the word “Palestine” is written in both Arabic and English. As the arrows turn 360 degrees, they point in every direction, symbolically suggesting that all directions lead to Palestine, despite the presence of these settlements. In this way, the work becomes a statement about presence, identity, and belonging—affirming that this land is, and remains, Palestinian.

“This installation is my response to the politics of settlements in Palestine. The main objective of this policy is to gradually erase all traces of Palestinian presence in space and time in order to create a single, unified Israeli state.”

The project concluded with a site-specific moving performance in collaboration with Natalie Salsa, who interacted with and danced around the installation across various locations in Bethlehem, activating the work through movement and creating a dialogue between body, object, and landscape.

This project would not have been possible without the support of many people. Special thanks to Natalie Salsa, Elias D’Eis, Said Zarzar, and Sliman Mukarker, as well as all those who contributed. For safety and security reasons, some participants chose to remain anonymous due to the climate of fear and risk of repercussions in the West Bank. Deep thanks to them all.

Rooted | Making of and site specific performances
Production: Sibomana. Choreography & Performance: Natalie Salsa’. Camera Operators: Power Group. Facilitation: Elias D’Eis, Said Zarzar. Music: Emad Salsa’. Video Editing: Jude Al-Safadi.