By Urban Shihemi , January 15, 2026

A photography exhibition titled Cacti has opened in Westlands, Nairobi, presenting a compelling visual protest that captures the anger, frustration and aspirations of Palestinians living in Germany’s capital, Berlin.

The series blends stark monochrome photography with text and digital line-art integrated into selected frames, creating a distinctive visual language that moves between documentary, abstraction and artistic expression. 

Through this layered approach, Cacti seeks to give form to emotions and experiences that are often silenced or marginalised in mainstream narratives.

The exhibition is deeply influenced by recent events in Germany, where hundreds of people last year participated in a large demonstration in Berlin in support of Palestine and in condemnation of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza. 

These protests serve as a critical backdrop to the series, reflecting growing global outrage and renewed calls for justice and accountability.

Through a sequence of abstract, staged images, Cacti juxtaposes some of Berlin’s most recognisable monuments sites that commemorate defining moments in world history with hidden or abstract human figures. 

The visual contrast draws attention to the tension between officially remembered histories and contemporary struggles unfolding in the present.

“This contrast is intended to question whose histories are remembered, whose suffering is acknowledged, and how contemporary struggles intersect with spaces shaped by past atrocities,” said Rasha Al Jundi, the organiser of Cacti, the Visual Protest.

By bringing the exhibition to Nairobi, Cacti extends the conversation beyond Europe, inviting Kenyan and international audiences to reflect on solidarity, memory and resistance. 

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli forces have killed 451 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. The war has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded 171,000, most of them women and children, since October 2023.

The factions also called for opening border crossings, allowing aid into all parts of Gaza and a full Israeli withdrawal to help restore sustained calm, enable early recovery and begin reconstruction.

Israel continues to block the agreed flow of food, medicine, medical supplies and shelter materials into Gaza, where about 2.4 million Palestinians live, including 1.5 million who are displaced and facing catastrophic conditions.