Rome, an exhibition at Palazzo Merulana focuses gaze on Gaza's children and childhood under siege

In the contemporary world, millions of children grow up in conditions marked by war, violence and loss. According to UNICEF data, more than 41,000 serious violations of children’s rights were recorded in 2024 alone, while more than 520 million children now live in areas affected by armed conflict. It is to these children that How Kids Roll, the exhibition curated by Loris Lai and Joseph Lefevre, hosted at Palazzo Merulana in Rome from May 14 to June 28, 2026, is dedicated. Promoted under the patronage of the Dicastery for Communication, the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, UNICEF Italy and Save the Children, and produced by B-Roll Production and Ramon Pictures, the exhibition focuses its gaze on the children of Gaza, recounting the everyday life of those growing up within a conflict that continues to redefine the present, the imaginary and the future of the new generations.

At Palazzo Merulana, the theme of childhood thus becomes a lens through which to read the contradictions of our time. The exhibition space is transformed into a place for reflection and cultural mediation, to bring the theme of children’s rights and collective responsibility back to the center.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the photographic work of Melissa McClaren, made during the filming of How Kids Roll between 2022 and 2023. Her images construct an intimate narrative devoid of rhetoric, made up of everyday gestures, moments of waiting, fragments of normalcy and games that constantly coexist with the trauma of war. Alongside the photographs are poems written by Gaza children from the beginning of the conflict to the present. The words enter the exhibition as live and direct presences, unmediated, amplifying the power of the visual narrative. Also dialoguing with these materials are the shots of photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda, which document the reality of Gaza through images dense with humanity and pain.

Photographs, poetic texts and sound contributions, curated by Maurizio Cascella, build an immersive environment in which fear, anger, hope and imagination coexist, restoring the complexity of childhood experienced in wartime. The layout is designed to slow down the gaze and encourage a direct relationship with the works: lightboxes, large-format images and small prints alternate in a path that continually shifts from the collective dimension to the personal encounter, inviting the visitor to dwell on the details and really listen.

The exhibition is also enriched by Simone Legno’s paintings, inspired by the film, and a video documenting his live performance. Screens and dream sequences from How Kids Roll further expand the narrative. The exhibition project dialogues directly with the film How Kids Roll, currently distributed internationally. The film recounts the friendship between Mahmud, a Palestinian boy, and Alon, a young Israeli boy, united by a passion for surfing during the second intifada in 2003. A story that spans the conflict and tries to imagine a possible space of peace, brotherhood and coexistence. Loosely inspired by the book Sulle onde della libertà (On the Waves of Freedom ) by Nicoletta Bortolotti, published by Ragazzi Mondadori, the film confirms the project’s desire to entrust the children’s gaze with a possible alternative to hatred and division.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the organization’s birth, UNICEF Italy supports the exhibition for its educational, cultural and social value, fully consistent with its mission to protect and promote the rights of children and adolescents.

How Kids Roll does not merely document a dramatic reality, but uses artistic and documentary languages to build memory, awareness and cultural responsibility. Childhood thus becomes the center of an urgent reflection on the present and future of our time.

The exhibition is accompanied by a calendar of meetings and appointments dedicated to schools and the public, with matinees, screenings and in-depth moments designed to stimulate dialogue and participation.

For all info visit www.palazzomerulana.it

Hours: Wednesday through Friday from 12 to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Rome, an exhibition at Palazzo Merulana focuses gaze on Gaza's children and childhood under siege

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