Occupied Pleasures

Tanya Habjouqa

East Wing
20 May – 6 July 2014

More than four million people live in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, under arduous political and economic conditions with limited freedom of movement. Yet, amidst these constricting circumstances arising from a 47-year occupation, commonplace everyday pleasures of the population persevere. Occupied Pleasures, created by Tanya Habjouqa between 2011 – 2014, observes these small, but far from insignificant moments of daily life with a sharp sense of humor, revealing a narrative which stands in stark contrast to more widely viewed reportage, focused on violence and conflict.  

Recipient of a 2013 Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund Award for this project and a World Press Award in 2014, Habjouqa explains the need for this shift in vision:

“The Palestinian visual narrative, as represented in western media, is often portrayed through a narrow prism. Despite the inability of Palestinians to maintain and sustain a normal way of life, and amidst this jarring reality, men, women and children often manage to steal moments of simple joys – quirky, modest occasions of happiness that range from taking a spin on a merry go-around to riding horses, or imagining a tropical adventure all the while standing against a colorful backdrop with a live parakeet in a simple studio in a refugee camp.“