Visitors to the photo exhibition ‘The Last Sky’, which features 60 mobile phone photos from Gaza, opened on Saturday at the Fine Arts College Gallery in Palayam.
Opening on Saturday at the Fine Arts College Gallery in Palayam, “The Last Sky”, a photography exhibition, serves as a visceral and disturbing reminder of the genocide in Gaza. Featuring 60 mobile phone photographs taken by Santhosh Kumar SS during his 220-day stint with the UN Emergency Medical Team, the exhibition offers a rare first-hand account from the front lines of one of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st century.
Thiruvananthapuram District Panchayat President V. Priyadarshini inaugurated the exhibition. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Ms. Priyadarshini highlighted the disproportionate impact of war on women and children. She noted that the images were “deeply disturbing” and difficult to view for extended periods of time because they revealed the “power of hunger” and the utter breakdown of human dignity. She also expressed concern over the global trend of silencing or “banning” artists and intellectuals who attempt to represent the Palestinian cause, and wished that the horrors depicted in “The Last Sky” would never be repeated.
Dr. Santhosh Kumar, a professor of emergency medicine who has served in nearly 50 conflict zones and disaster-affected areas, provided a sobering perspective on the limitations of humanitarian aid. He noted that in modern warfare, typically only about 30% of casualties can be saved. For him, photography was not only an artistic but a professional duty. He emphasized that for doctors working in such zones, the photographs serve as vital forensic evidence and evidence of war crimes to be presented to international courts.
In reflections on the geopolitical dimensions of the crisis, Dr. Santosh said the ongoing genocide exposed the cruelty of a world where powerful nations operate with impunity, regardless of international law. He further offered a provocative critique of global complicity, suggesting that by providing aid to the occupying forces, many are indirectly complicit in the devastation.
The exhibition arrives in the capital after successful runs in Kozhikode, Kannur and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Dr. Expressing his wish that the whole of Kerala should witness these frames, Santhosh argued that each of us should realize the gravity of the situation and the fact that one of them has witnessed it.
The exhibition is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts College Gallery until January 31. Entry is free.
Published – 25 Jan 2026 23:50 IST
