Christmas should be a time of love and peace, but we live in complex times: many countries all over the world are at war or ripped apart by internal conflicts; there are millions of people in need and migrants and refugees away from their home countries, trapped in limbo-like detention centres, while migrant children are separated from their families.
The best representation of Christmas in our difficult times seems to be Banksy's nativity: entitled "Scar of Bethlehem", the scene was recently unveiled at the Bethlehem-based Walled Off Hotel, overlooking the border wall in the divided city. The artist helped setting up the hotel two years ago and its spaces also feature works by the anonymous artist such as a mural of a Palestinian and an Israeli soldier having a pillow fight.
The "Scar of Bethlehem" is a "hacked" nativity scene: it features Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, but the scene is not located in a manger, but in front of the concrete panels of the border wall. The characters are surrounded by English and French graffiti spelling "love" and "peace" and there's a bullet hole piercing the wall in the place of the star shining bright in the night sky.
The artwork was designed to make people think about Palestinians living in the divided city of Bethlehem. Israel began building the West Bank barrier or wall - currently stretching for over 708 km - in 2002 during the Palestinian uprising. Mostly built inside the West Bank and considered by Israel as a security barrier against violence and terrorism, it is deemed by Palestinians a racial segregation or apartheid wall.
While the "Scar of Bethlehem" is strongly linked with the local situation, this alternative nativity scene also hints at many other tangible and intangible walls and barriers we build everyday.
The "Scar of Bethlehem" is the second work of art produced by Banksy this December. Earlier on this month the anonymous street artist painted a team of reindeer on a wall in Birmingham. The peculiarity about the reindeers was that they seemed to be pulling a bench that homeless people use as a bed.
The mural made a statement about homelessness, while inviting passers-by to interact with homeless people. A video showing the mural on Banksy's Instagram page, was indeed accompanied by a caption saying "God bless Birmingham. In the 20 minutes we filmed Ryan on this bench passers-by gave him a hot drink, two chocolate bars and a lighter - without him ever asking for anything."
So may love, joy and peace be with you this Christmas, but let's not forget about the pain, suffering and divisions in the world.
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