In response to the upheavals in Palestine and the international awakening, we joined forces in several calls for cultural and academic boycott, notably with the Mosaic Rooms. It is simple, staying neutral in situations of oppression puts you on the side of oppressor. It is the responsibility of every individual to witness this injustice and to speak out in the noble plight of liberating the Palestinian people. ‘Disarming’ is not a metaphor: it is an approach which positions design as a cultural tool to oppose and defy oppression – and we laid that out and communicated it as clearly as we know.

May’s events catalysed the Watermelon flag: a new design by artist Khaled Hourani. The Watermelon embodies a legacy of resistance to the plethora of oppressions inflicted by the Occupation in Palestine; you can read the full story of the flag, going from artwork to solidarity statement here.

Thanks to your ongoing support, we were able to invest generously in new production: we worked with ceramics and leather artisans in Al-Khalil; glass craftspeople in Jabaa’; and the Toukan Soap Factory from Nablus. We also had the chance and pleasure to feature Vivien Sansour for the Palestine Heirloom Seed library, a remarkably timely project. In Bethlehem, we collaborated with Nadya Hazbunovna for screen-printed t-shirts and with Nadira Al Araj for her handmade silver jewellery. In Gaza, artist Mohammad Abusal worked with a variety of artists and artisans for poetic silver earrings, wooden sculptures, wicker birdhouses, embroidered scarfs and sleeping masks.

If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably already read about the array of hindrances we encounter upon working in connection to Palestine: dealing with shipping companies; the boxes that were returned and those that arrived weeks too late; new EU laws for importing non-EU products; fluctuating customs regulations; and financial transaction restrictions, to name a few. The Zionist occupation really does hinder every corner of the creative process.

But few things make us as proud as Areej Ashhab launching her own design label in 2021. Areej went from designing the Checkpoint bag during our 2015 create-shop with Al Ma’mal, to freeing it from the architecture of the occupation and building a mobile, versatile design label. Fully handmade in Palestine, theblacksac is made together with the Al Khalil based leather workshop Jelld. Watch Areej go through the full scope in this video by AJ+ or read the engaging interview ‘A bag with bagage’ by Sindhu Nair at SCALE-magazine.

Internally, we restructured our organisation. We scaled down our activities, in the capacity and talents of our core team in Belgium, and raised up our solidarity towards facilitating designs created in conscious and integrated ways. This led us to re-build our website: the design products and the collaborative projects are the two communicating, inseparable chapters of Disarming design from Palestine. It also allowed us to archive the vast range of activities that we have actively taken part in, and that are at the root of where we stand today.

• Sascha Krischock built the website; Arno Huygens visualised its structure during his internship; Annelys Devet facilitated, edited and connected, and Julia Mrad was the driving force of the solidarity events we co-organised in Brussels. Elettra Bisogno generously volunteered in putting together an incredible amount of videos, showcasing the production and sharing the stories behind the Awakening goggles, ‘I am an Arab’ t-shirt, Freedom Shoes, Unveiled Souls, Made in Palestine, and this one Gaza Earrings, Love for Live:

And as the evolution of the pandemic allowed for activities in public again, we co-organised and were involved in several solidarity events, and webbed our networks outwards for presentation and distribution of the design platform. The Identity=Health facemask was officially acquired by the V&A in London, and we were involved in the following happenings:

• Palestine-solidarity event ‘Watermelon’,20 June 2021, De Markten, Brussels
  We co-organized the Palestine-solidarity event ‘Watermelon’ together with Lagrange Points Brussels. In many ways, the red, black, green, and white of the watermelon fruit – colours that match those of the Palestinian flag – tell the story of the plight and pride of the Palestinian people throughout generations. We shared stories, designs and narratives along calligrapher and artist Hamza Abu Ayyash, dance group Watan Dabkeh, rapper and musicians Osloob & Abo Gabi. The event ended with a glorious performance by SAWT.

• SWIDR – PALESTINE AND BEYOND, 20 August 2021, Decoratelier, Brussels
  We participated and co-organised the ‘Palestine & Beyond’ event in Decoratelier. The solidarity night was curated and facilitated by Raghd Azzam, aiming to ‘create an organic energy and connections from Palestine and beyond’. The event was part of Decoratelier’s summer festival SWIDR: Something when it doesn’t rain.
• ARTIVISM + DIASPORAS / EPISODE 1 : Palestine, 29 October 2021, GlobeAroma, Brussels
  The CNCD-11.11.11 in the framework of its project Soliris.brussels and United Stages Belgium held the first episode of its cycle Artivism + Diasporas, questioning what in means to be in diaspora in a city like Brussels. They turn to the Palestinian diaspora. What does it mean to engage with Palestine from Belgium? Lagrange Points Brussels held a round table with Hamza Abu Ayyash, followed by an evening of dance and music – and Disarming design from Palestine presented designs and stories from our collection.

• Plant een olijfboom: Exhibition, 7 – 17 November 2021, Sint-Barbara Kerk, Culemborg
  The international solidarity network ‘Plant een olijfboom’ held space for a week-long exhibition of our designs at the Sint-Barbara Kerk in Culemborg, in the Netherlands. The exhibition was opened by Green party and progressive mayor Gerdo van Grootheest. The week followed with a series of events designed to ignite conversations and spark thoughts and solidarity.
• It’s a Watermelon flag, 23 June – December 2021, Beursschouwburg Brussels
  After ‘It’s a date! (food, conversations, filmscreening)’, carried by the Imtidad collective and artist Samah Hijawi, the Beursschouwburg, a prominent cultural institution in Belgium, kept the Watermelon flags on its building for 2021, in solidarity. And we couldn’t have been more pleased!

• Brussels, Amsterdam, London
  We are heartened that our expanding networks led our designs to be featured in the rich bookshop of Lagrange Points in Brussels, and the books store of Framer Framed in Amsterdam. And our presence in the museum shop of the amazing museum and cultural center Mosaic Rooms in London continued. Be sure to drop by if you’re around!

Along the year, Disarming design from Palestine was featured in a few touching writings.

On the occasion of acquiring the Identity=Health Facemask for the V&A museum, curator Mariam Rosser-Owen wrote Pandemic Objects: Keffiyeh Mask, featuring none other than Mohammad Musallam, artist and designer behind this same mask, and a handful of other designs in our platform. Online magazine SWALFI selected us as one of their 7 most favourite Palestinian artists and collectives to follow; and Etcetera delved into the connections between the Gaza birdhouse, and learning from the pandemic. Artist Jonas Staal wrote an insightful analysis on art, propaganda & solidarity movements in the Netherlands with a focus on the student-organised protests for the liberation of Palestine — featuring the Watermelon flag by Khaled Hourani. And we helped setting up and listened non-stop to the 24-hour online radio broadcast marathon on Palestinian ecology and solidarity by Radioee.net.

Look ahead

We glance back just as we look ahead, and hope the past year will be the fertile soil for the year to come. We hope to invest in more designs, grow our in-person sales,  partner further with (museum)shops, just as much as raising our digital connections and events. This would allow to further web the stories we platform with many others.

For a start, the Sharjah Art Foundation will be featuring our designs in their museum-shop this spring, and we will deepen our collaboration with La Grange Points in Brussels.

And we’re always looking to amplify sibling voices, and to support thought-provoking designs. If so inclined, please do get in touch!

In gratitude, always

DDFP team