Controversial Palestine art display opens

A CONTROVERSIAL art installation featuring 3000 hanging human figures made from wax has been unveiled at the Patriothall Gallery in Stockbridge.

Return of the Soul by Invernesshire artist Jane Frere is inspired by the experiences of Palestinians who left their homes during the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. The event is known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or Catastrophe.

The wax figures were made with help from cultural and arts groups in Beirut, and Ms Frere lived with Palestinian families in camps in the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon as she prepared for the installation, discussing their experiences.

She said: "People who have seen this installation in Jerusalem and the West Bank tell me it has been quite cathartic for them. But it has been a totally cathartic experience for me, too."

Ms Frere will give a talk and host a discussion of the piece at the gallery at 1pm on August 4.