‘Gaza Remains the Story’: An exhibition brings Gaza’s struggle to Cape Town
The District Six Museum in Cape Town, once a site of apartheid-era forced removals, now hosts a Gaza exhibition highlighting parallels in colonial oppression.
An art exhibition exploring the devastation and resilience of Gaza has opened in Cape Town, amid growing solidarity between South Africa and Palestine.
Titled Gaza Remains the Story, the exhibition is currently on display at the District Six Museum Homecoming Centre. It offers a detailed exploration of the war in Gaza but also the region’s history, culture, and artistic traditions.
The exhibition is a collaboration between The Palestinian Museum in the West Bank and the District Six Museum in South Africa, with support from the Cultural Solidarity Collective—an informal group of Cape Town-based artists, curators, writers, designers, urban practitioners, and activists working to bring Palestinian narratives to a global audience.
Running from 15 February to 15 March 2025, the exhibition presents a politically charged and culturally rich account of Gaza’s past and present.
Amer Shomali, Director General of The Palestinian Museum, says the Israeli military campaign has targeted key cultural landmarks, erasing centuries of Palestinian history.
Speaking to The New Arab, he explained: “More than 200 archaeological sites, seven museums, two art galleries, three cultural institutions, and two archives have damaged or destroyed since 7 October 2023. Beyond these physical losses, cultural professionals have also targeted—at least 44 individuals in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors were martyred during the genocide in Gaza.”
The destruction, he says, is not just physical but also an attack on Palestinian identity.
Divided into several sections, Gaza Remains the Story offers a structured yet deeply emotional narrative of Palestine’s history, culture, and resistance.
The first section, Historical Context, explores Gaza’s geography and centuries-old history, tracing its deep-rooted significance in the region. Visitors guided through maps, archival images, and historical texts that set the foundation for understanding Gaza’s enduring struggle.
The second section, dedicated to Wars and Conflicts, documents the major turning points in Palestinian history, from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the Nakba of 1948, the two Intifadas, and the repeated Israeli military offensives since 2000, culminating in the current war. It presents a sobering timeline of destruction but also of resistance.
In contrast, the Arts and Culture section highlights the resilience of Gaza’s people through music, poetry, painting, and crafts—demonstrating how cultural heritage has become a form of defiance against occupation.
The final section, International Solidarity, examines the global movements that have supported Palestine since the 1920s. It critiques international law’s failure to hold Israel accountable while showcasing activism that has grown over the decades.
Central to this is the role of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for a complete severance of trade and institutional ties with what it describes as Apartheid Israel.
r the organisers, the exhibition is not just about history—it is about preserving a narrative that has long been under threat.
Sura Abualrob, Media and Marketing Coordinator at The Palestinian Museum, describes the exhibition’s deep connection to the District Six Museum.
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