Holding Complex Identities: PKI at the “This Is (Not) My War” Exhibition

PKI was honored to be invited to the opening of the “This Is (Not) My War” exhibition in Bat Yam, featuring works by Ukrainian women artists who are refugees living in Israel. The exhibition poses complex questions about neutrality in times of war, the right to personal opinion in the context of migration, and the challenge of holding multifaceted identities shaped by conflicts that immigrants and refugees did not choose yet are profoundly affected by.

The exhibition centers on a shared rejection of war. It reflects the voices of people who did not choose the war in Ukraine or the war in Israel, do not want these wars to continue, yet are forced to carry them as part of their lives and identities. It raises critical questions about neutrality, migration, and the right to hold one’s own values while navigating displacement and complex belonging.

During the event, PKI LGBTQ+ participants met with the First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel and Zorian Kys, one of the first openly gay men in Ukraine. Participants emphasized the importance of visibility, dialogue, and international solidarity grounded in a clear commitment to peace.

The exhibition strengthened a sense of belonging, supported integrative identities of LGBTQ+ refugees, and reinforced a shared message: this is not our war — and we reject war as our future.