Palestinian House

Palestinian House is a central work in Berend Strik's Thixotropyexhibition at Galerie Fons Welters, Amsterdam (June–July 2009). The photographswere taken during Strik's journey through East Jerusalem and the West Bank,where he documented both Palestinian and Jewish settlements.

As Artmap describes: "Palestinian House shows a close-up of a house.Several elements attract our attention. Pieces of tulle, in light but vividcolours, cover the branches of the tree in front of the terrace. They look likesheets hung out to dry. Tools, a few stray garden chairs, and plastic cratesare strewn about at random. Yet the house behind that spontaneous collectionappears to have a clearly defined structure."

Strik notes that "although this is a 'Palestinian House', its corestructure is based on Israeli examples. Starting from this central design, ithas gradually been altered in response to requirements and new additions to thefamily, taking on a new, spontaneous form." Architecture provides subtleintimations of a situation in which contrasts abound.

Strik's textile interventions do not obscure the photograph but reveal an"intermediate space" where the image's initial meaning is opened upand given more specific content with layers of fabric and thread. As NRCHandelsblad noted: "The most beautiful works are those in which theadditions are so subtle you barely notice them." The work forms a diptychwith Israel House, exploring both sides of the conflict through theuniversal lens of home.

Private collection

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