Alaa Abu Asad’s Wild Plants of Palestine: the post-colonial world of cultural unacceptance

On the ground floor of John Handsard Gallery, there is still time to see Alaa Abu Asad’s Wild Plants of Palestine. Within this exhibition, I focused on Abu’s ongoing research project, The dog chased its tail to bite it off (2019–present), which examines Reynoutria japonica (commonly known as Japanese knotweed) as a metaphor for exploring xenophobia, migration, and cultural acceptance.

He explores how the Japanese knotweed had ‘invaded’ Denmark and Europe, after being expropriated by Dutch East India Company physician Philipp Franz von Siebold. Through his conversations with locals, his research on books and media discussing the plant, and his photographic work, he draws compelling parallels between the aggressive rhetoric used to describe this plant and similar language directed at human migrants, questioning why certain non-native species become national treasures while others remain perpetually foreign despite their remarkable resilience.

This discussion becomes extremely relatable in the summer months, as flags are raised and protests are ongoing. We hear the voices of Britons wanting the ‘invasion to end’, but who is the invader in the first place? As we look through the displayed research made by Abu, it might be hard to draw parallels between the two, but when you see a plant being called ‘pesky’ or a book about the plant called ‘immigrant killer’, it is hard not to feel the hostility amongst those waving the flags.

Knowledge is power is not just a slogan, because in the bookshop, you can easily pick up a book that deals with these issues. Let’s start with something practical. The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organisations by Robert Livingston tells you the purpose of the book within its title. As social unrest of 2020 and growing calls for racial justice rose in America, many business leaders and ordinary citizens are asking how they can become part of the solution. This book provides a compass for those seeking to begin the work of anti-racism. In The Conversation, Robert Livingston addresses three simple but profound questions: What is racism? Why should everyone be more concerned about it? What can we do to eradicate it?

If you find conversations too much to handle, how about a little read on Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves by Michael J. Benton, whilst we consider the idea of ‘invasion’ from a scientific standpoint. He examines how global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification, erupting volcanoes, and meteorite impacts have affected conditions on Earth, the drastic consequences for global ecology, and how life, in turn, has survived, adapted, and evolved. Like many at the protest who would sing songs by migrants such as Freddie Mercury or dreamers such as John Lennon, little did they know—they are living in a world where migrants have survived, adapted, and evolved into contributing members of society. It is a natural course of biology.

If we are still unsure how migrants contribute to society, let’s be more direct, like the book How Migration Really Works by Hein de Haas. The author asks the ‘big questions’, such as migration being at its all-time high, immigration sending crime rates soaring, and the misconception that we don’t need migrant workers—among many more, including questions on global warming and those supporting migration. Migrants, legal and illegal, face heartbreaking decisions to leave the countries they are in. Many countries experience this as borders close, and people must choose between staying and leaving. The book provides facts and figures on both sides about how migrants can be a source of human power to boost a country’s economy, how people reach the decision to migrate, and why migration is not simply leaving one country for another.

As we explore the ideas of existence, migration, and racism, we find a variety of books discussing these topics from all perspectives and terminologies. I have chosen three books as suggestions for anyone interested, but the list is endless. Exploring these ideas doesn’t have to be heavy or deep—there are works of fiction, poetry, and comics that make the subject more personal and relatable.

No matter your gender, race, age, sexual identity, or personality, we all sometimes feel out of place. If we are welcomed by others—through a simple British gesture like a smile, a nod, or asking ‘How are you’—the world becomes a much more welcoming place, and we can focus our anger on real issues that cause real living issues.

Alaa Abu Asad’s Wild Plants of Palestine and accompanying exhibitions extended to 3rd Oct, 2025.

Books available through October Books.