Cry, The Beloved Country - exhibition

"For it is the dawn that has come, as it has come for a thousand centuries, never failing. But when that dawn will come, of our emancipation, from the fear of bondage and the bondage of fear, why, that is a secret." — Alan Paton

Cry, the Beloved Country is a multidisciplinary exhibition by Dr Gil Mualem-Doron that examines the failures of the homeland as a space of equality, justice, and belonging. Developed over more than five years, the project combines historical research, interviews, collaborations, participatory practices, photography, film, installation, sculpture, and performance to explore questions of identity, nationalism, displacement, and decolonisation.

Conceived in 2019, the exhibition evolved in response to shifting political realities and pandemic-related disruptions. Several new works were created specifically for P21 Gallery, transforming the exhibition into a site-responsive journey through contested histories and lived experiences.

The title references both Alan Paton's landmark 1948 anti-apartheid novel and a 1953 article by Israeli journalist Dr Ezriel Karlebach, who used the phrase to criticise the treatment of Arab citizens in the newly established state of Israel. By connecting these histories, the exhibition draws attention to recurring systems of exclusion, discrimination, and colonial power.

We would also like to thank the curator Ghazaleh Zogheib, Prof. Ilan Pappe, Ronnie Kasrils, Michael Sfard for contributing texts for the exhibition and Dr Salman Abu Sitta and Eitan Bronstein Aparicio for presenting their work in one of the exhibition's online events.