Between 27th December of 2008 and 18th of January 2009, the Israeli military carried out an attack on the Gaza Strip named Operation Cast Lead. The magnitude of the harm to the population, buildings and infrastructure was unprecedented.
In Gaza Portraits we meet Palestinian civilians who had their lives dramatically changed. Due to severe injuries and loss of limbs, many lost their ability to support their families or to complete their education.
Since 2000, the Magnum photographer Paolo Pellegrin has reported from both sides in the long-standing Israeli – Palestinian conflict. When he arrived a few months after the Israeli attack, he was struck by the devastation and the high number of dead and wounded. The first photographs were taken in 2009, returning to Gaza several times. He felt obliged to tell the stories to the population that was brutally affected by the Operation Cast Lead.
The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Ole D. Mjøs, chairman of theboard of Perspektivet Museum from 2001–2011. The exhibition is produced by Magnum Photos in collaboration with PERSPEKTIVET MUSEUM, Tromsø. Supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Oslo.
