Melon #1: On Foraging in Palestine, Japan & Maastricht

Melon #1: On Foraging in Palestine, Japan & Maastricht looks at foraging as more than a means of survival—it’s a quiet, everyday act of resistance.

From occupied Palestine to rural Japan and urban Maastricht, foraging reveals how access to land, freedom of movement, and alternative ways of living are deeply entangled. In contested or urbanized landscapes, it becomes a way to reclaim connection—with nature, place, and one another.

“In the first issue of Melon, Rotterdam-based Palestinian artist Alaa Abu Asad, and Berlin-based Japanese artist Asako Iwama, approach the topic from an intimate family perspective. Alaa opens the narrative with a photo of his father foraging for green asparagus in Palestine, discussing the political implications of invasive plant species and the current plight of Palestinians. Starting from her experiences of foraging in Maastricht with her mother and Alaa, Asako uncovers the intriguing connection between traditional Swedish food and Japanese flowers. They also provide recipes of foraged vegetables and fruits. Readers are encouraged to try them at home.”