JERUSALEM SHOW VIII

Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art BEFORE AND AFTER ORIGINS Histories of colonialism have more commonalities than differences. That implicit proposal was the genesis of Jerusalem Show VIII, “Before and After Origins,” curated by Vivian Ziherl at the al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art in the Old City of Jerusalem. With artworks by 30 artists and groups, as well as objects from historical collections, Ziherl’s two-part exhibition linked Palestinian perspectives with those from indigenous Australia, Congo, Myanmar’s Shan state and elsewhere, looking first at the mythologies that undergird—or undermine—the legitimacy of “settler colonies,” and then at the effects of displacement and enforced isolation on colonized populations. As Ziherl’s show braided global histories, it also proposed itself as a platform for international solidarity. With stylistic echoes of an archaeological dig, the “Before” chapter…