Between Sky and Sea

In a time of war, siege, and silence, the photography exhibition “Between Sky and Sea” arrives in Chicago for its second edition. Created entirely remotely from within besieged Gaza, the exhibition is the work of Palestinian photographer and filmmaker Ismail Abu Hatab, who was killed in an Israeli bombing during the organization of this show.

On June 30, 2025, Ismail was killed in an Israeli airstrike while at Café Al-Baqa in Gaza, working on the final preparations for this exhibition. Though he is no longer with us, his vision, passion, and courage continue to speak through every image. This exhibition stands as a tribute to his legacy a voice for Gaza that cannot be silenced.

Returning in its second edition from Gaza to Chicago, following its acclaimed and successful debut in Los Angeles.

Through powerful images and compelling visual storytelling, the exhibition documents the forced displacement of thousands of families during the 2023–2024 war on Gaza families who walked for days under bombardment, carrying their children, memories, and dignity through rubble and uncertainty.

From the shores of Gaza to the heart of Chicago, step into the tent where war becomes visible, stories breathe, and the voice of resilience rises between the sky and the sea.

The project began while Abu Hatab was walking on crutches after being injured in an Israeli airstrike, yet he did not stop. While Gaza endured intense bombardment and a complete blockade, he worked from within displacement, reconstructing a sensory visual experience that documents the Palestinian journey of exile.

This exhibition is more than just a collection of photographs—it is an immersive experience inside a symbolic tent designed with every detail of life in Gaza’s displacement camps. It includes real sound effects from daily life in Gaza and a video capturing the sea as a pathway for escape, longing, and waiting. But most importantly, as Abu Hatab emphasizes, wood, sand, and flour are just symbols—the human being is the essence of everything. Memory is life itself.

“I couldn’t leave Gaza… but I was able to send our story,” Abu Hatab says. Art knows no borders, and this exhibition is an act of resistance.

The exhibition documents the stories of thousands of families who fled on foot during the 2023–2024 war, carrying their children, elders, and memories walking the thin line between life and death. They lived on the sands of the sea exposed, between sky and sea. Above them, warplanes; before them, gunboats. Their only shelter was tattered fabrics shielding them from nothingness. In winter, waves engulfed them; in summer, the sun scorched them. Every photo in the exhibition captures not just a moment but an entire lived experience of fear, resilience, and waiting.

After its first showing in Los Angeles inside a symbolic tent, “Between Sky and Sea” now reaches Chicago in its expanded second edition, with new visual and narrative dimensions. Hosted by BYPA – By Palestine in partnership with Walls Turned Sideways, the exhibition is set to travel to London in August 2025.

This exhibition does not just tell the story of war—it tells the story of humanity, memory, meaning, and dignity amid destruction.

About the Artist: 

Ismail Abu Hatab Palestinian filmmaker, photographer, and visual storyteller Founder of BYPA – By Palestine

Ismail Abu Hatab is a Palestinian filmmaker and photographer from Gaza, known for his visual work that captures the essence of the Palestinian experience displacement, war, human resilience, and hope. He blends documentary, artistic video, and drama to tell stories filled with life and dignity despite war and siege.

He co-directed the first digital series of its kind in Palestine and the Arab world, in partnership with BBC Media Action, consisting of 30 episodes that explored the reality of Palestinian youth in Gaza and Ramallah. He has also produced dozens of films and human stories for international organizations, merging visual aesthetics with human rights and advocacy content. His photography documents the lives and enduring dreams of Gaza’s people despite war and blockade.

Abu Hatab has also worked as a media trainer and project coordinator with youth and young adults, both inside Palestine and internationally, focusing on media literacy, digital storytelling, and information literacy. He served as the media director and lead trainer at PYALARA for eight years, collaborating with international organizations such as UNESCO and DW Akademie to train journalists, teachers, and emerging storytellers in Palestine and beyond.

In November 2023, he sustained a severe injury while covering Israeli airstrikes, resulting in displacement and temporary disability that left him unable to walk for a year. Despite this, he continued working from within the besieged territory and remotely designed visual exhibitions while under bombardment.

Among his notable exhibitions is “Between Sky and Sea,” first launched in Los Angeles and set to travel to Chicago (July 2025) and London (August 2025). This photography exhibition offers a sensory experience documenting forced displacement from Gaza. He also presented an exhibition and cultural session titled “HOME” in Chicago, in collaboration with renowned Palestinian writers in the U.S., focusing on the loss of the Palestinian home. His work has been exhibited in Spain and multiple U.S. states, receiving international media and cultural coverage. He has participated in discussions and panels on Palestinian visual storytelling in various events.

Abu Hatab is the founder of BYPA – By Palestine, a youth-led Palestinian space dedicated to producing artistic, visual, and human narratives through photography, video, comics, and multimedia. BYPA is not just a Space but a movement an artistic act of resistance and a creative space for the new generation of Palestinian storytellers.

About BYPA

BYPA is a non-profit Palestinian platform that empowers voices through creative storytelling, including photography, comics, and video. It provides a space for free expression, allowing Palestinian creators to share authentic narratives that highlight hope, resilience, and creativity beyond traditional portrayals of hardship. By connecting past and present, homeland and diaspora, BYPA redefines the Palestinian narrative through art and storytelling.

Our space works toward:

• Empowering Palestinian youth by providing training opportunities in arts and storytelling. 
• Supporting artistic projects through grants that enable creators to produce works celebrating Palestinian identity. 
• Opening global horizons by organizing international exhibitions, cultural programs, and conferences.

 We firmly believe that stories and art can drive positive change, inspiring global audiences and fostering connections with Palestine beyond news headlines.