The performance ‘Sad Oranges’ reflects on the fragile position of those experiencing unrelenting violence and the trauma of forced displacement. The orange is used as a symbol of place, and the intimate relationship between the people and their land. It mourns the lack of human rights, the lack of international justice and the ongoing struggle of people for freedom. The orange is squeezed and squeezed and it’s juice falls like a waterfall of tears.
‘The performance pays homage to ‘Land of Sad Oranges’ by Ghassan Kanafani who wrote about the intimate relationship between the Palestinians and their land, particularly represented by the orange trees. The narrative portrays the suffering and humiliation of leaving one's country and living in poverty, which was a reality for thousands of displaced families. The orange in the story serves as a metaphor for loss, symbolising the faded memory of a happy existence and the intimate relationship between the people and their land. It represents the refugee condition, hopelessness, and the recognition of the actuality of displacement.
This performance is also informed by my own memory of my family receiving the gift of oranges from Palestine for Christmas, while I was growing up through the troubles in Belfast and trying to process the complexities of colonialism, resistance and struggle for civil and human rights. My way of processing this was mainly through music, painting and identifying with other writers and artists who had already created work.
‘The performance pays homage to ‘Land of Sad Oranges’ by Ghassan Kanafani who wrote about the intimate relationship between the Palestinians and their land, particularly represented by the orange trees. The narrative portrays the suffering and humiliation of leaving one's country and living in poverty, which was a reality for thousands of displaced families. The orange in the story serves as a metaphor for loss, symbolising the faded memory of a happy existence and the intimate relationship between the people and their land. It represents the refugee condition, hopelessness, and the recognition of the actuality of displacement.
This performance is also informed by my own memory of my family receiving the gift of oranges from Palestine for Christmas, while I was growing up through the troubles in Belfast and trying to process the complexities of colonialism, resistance and struggle for civil and human rights. My way of processing this was mainly through music, painting and identifying with other writers and artists who had already created work.
This performance was part of a duet series of performances at Centre d'arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona, in collaboration with Ocells Al Cap Artists and Denys Blacker in January 2024
Photography and filming by Peter O'Donnell
Photography and filming by Peter O'Donnell
