12 Months of Solidarity
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Scope
/ EXHIBITIONS
Scenography & Art Installations
Exhibition Management & Curation/ BRAND STRATEGY, NARRATIVE & IDENTITY
Design Research
Content Strategy & Copywriting
Visual identity/ ROLLOUT
Collateral Design
Print & Packaging -
Collaborators
Curatorial Team: MCFP - Katherine Palella, Sirena Varma, Ishara Sahama. Justice for Palestine - Aleea Monsour, Kasun Ubayasiri, Jarod Woods
Volunteers: Sean Gilligan, Kale Fisher, Rose Richani
Photography: Alex Bainbridge
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Sponsors
Justice for Palestine, KEPK, Baitna, Alphabet Cafe, Twig Collaborative
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Location
KEPK, Yeerongpilly, Australia, 2024
12 Months of Solidarity is a photographic exhibition of the Palestine solidarity movement in Magan-djin and surrounding areas that took place on October 7th, 2024. The activation was a collaboration between Magan-djin Creatives for Palestine (MCFP) and Justice for Palestine. MCFP is a community-led initiative to unite Magandjin (Brisbane) creatives in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Justice for Palestine Magan-djin was formed in 2009, comprising of a broad coalition of organisations and individuals form who support freedom for Palestine.
The opening night featured powerful performances, music, and truth-telling rooted in Palestinian and Blak voices. Together, we honoured the photographers behind the lens, and remembered the 129+ journalists murdered in Palestine, acknowledging the critical importance of documentation and visual storytelling in movements for liberation.
The exhibition explored the theme of solidarity through seven Arabic concepts - words chosen not only for their meaning but for how they reflect the lived experience of our community over the past year. These words are not direct translations of English concepts, but rather hold depth, poetry, and cultural resonance.
المُساهَمَة – Contribution: Al Musāhama recognises the unique gifts each person brings to our shared work and how every offering matters.
المُشارَكَة – Cooperation: Al Mushāraka speaks to both shared participation and the act of offering something to the collective.
التَناغُم – Harmony: At Tanāghum expresses the beauty of many voices joining together, a musical kind of unity.
التَكاتُف – Cohesion: At Takātuf evokes standing shoulder to shoulder, forming an unbreakable wall of equals.
التَوافُق – Agreement: At Tawāfuq reflects finding common ground across difference. It also historically represents the forging of agreements between communities for mutual strength, embodied here through First Nations and Palestinian solidarity.
التَماسُك – Solidarity: At Tamāsuk is the image of holding on to one another; literally holding hands in strength and support.
الصُمود – Resilience: As Ṣumūd is the spirit of enduring and resisting, and of continuing forward with courage and hope.
These words framed the exhibition experience, guiding visitors through photographs and moments that embodied each principle. The visual identity of the exhibition brought each word to life through typographic design, weaving Arabic and English letterforms together to honour the interconnectedness of language, meaning, and community. The words were placed alongside the photographs they spoke to, deepening their resonance as shared experiences of resistance and care.
The exhibition was designed to centre both community and clarity - highlighting photography as a political and poetic tool, and honouring visual language as a means of truth-telling. The gallery space was activated not just as a site of viewing, but of gathering.
We acknowledge that the struggle for a free Palestine is tightly bound to the ongoing struggle for Blak sovereignty in this country and we are committed to the actions of mutual liberation, enduring solidarity, and truth-telling. Through our incredible community, we were able to donate to TAQWA, and Treaty Before Sports.
