The Dice Player: Mahmoud Darwish

A celebration of the life and work of the great Palestinian poet (b.1941  d.2008) that unfolds across six themed sections – The Son explores his childhood in Al-Birwa; The Poet highlights his early literary beginnings; The Exiled follows his displacement and travels; The Lover examines the role of love in his work; The Activist reflects his national commitment and the transformation of language into struggle; and The Absent Presence commemorates his enduring human and artistic legacy.

Rather than a biography, the exhibition traces the evolution of his work through words, images, and music, reflecting his vision of life and poetry; it offers an interactive artistic and cultural journey, using AV technology to immerse visitors in Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry and prose. .

The title of course refers to one of his best-known poems:

Who am I to say to you
what I say to you?
I was not a stone polished by water
and became a face
nor was I a cane punctured by the wind
and became a flute…

I am a dice player,
Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose
I am like you
or slightly less …

To 13 March.