Eltiqa (Arabic for “encounter”) is an artist collective from Gaza City founded in 2000. For over twenty years, Eltiqa members have developed artistic practices together – including the setting up of a dedicated exhibition and workshop space in Gaza City, and supporting younger generations of artists through workshops, exhibitions and by offering a space to meet and dialogue.  

‘Eltiqa: How to Work Together?’ includes a selection of Eltiqa’s artworks spanning several years of collaboration. The works on display were collected from various locations worldwide, remaining safe and intact  – sometimes over many years – thanks to a trusted network of individuals and institutions that safeguarded them. Some artworks produced and exhibited years ago remained with institutions and individuals because of the difficulty of returning them to Gaza. Meanwhile, other works were transported out of Gaza by artists and their respective networks during the ongoing genocide. 

Included in the exhibition is an annotated timeline that traces the history of Eltiqa – the collective’s formation and early days, their efforts at creating structures of support for themselves and others, and the historical, political and personal events that have marked their lives as a collective and as individuals. Through anecdotes recounted by members of Eltiqa and research conducted by The Question of Funding collective, the displayed narratives accentuate Eltiqa’s practice and survival amid political, social, economic and personal distress. 

This presentation is part of a long-term collaboration between The Question of Funding collective and Eltiqa. A previous iteration of the exhibition was conceived for documenta15 (2022), and the present expanded display accounts for personal and political upheavals in Gaza and the artists’ individual lives since then.

Eltiqa Artists: Mohammad Abusal, Abdel Raoof Al Ajouri, Mohammad Al Hawajri, Raed Issa, Dina Matter, Soheil Salem

Curated by The Question of Funding