Exhibition Research Lab presents George Hallett: Home and Exile an exhibition bringing together works by Cape Town-born South African photographer George Hallett (1942-2020) who lived in exile in Europe from 1970 to the mid-1990s.
Introduced to literature, music and visual arts by South African writers and visual artists, Hallett developed his practice as a self-taught street photographer in Cape Town in the 1960s. His early images depict street scenes in places such as the neighbourhood of District Six, Black communities, and cultural figures and moments that were to become a major theme throughout his career. As a South African of mixed heritage, his experience of discrimination during apartheid, and the lack of professional opportunities, led him to exile. He first settled in England in the early 1970s before moving to France and the Netherlands. In Europe, and on visits to the United States and other parts of the world, Hallett photographed both South African exile and Black life with the intention of creating a visual record that restored dignity to a people that was either absent or misrepresented in mainstream media. Doing so, he created an incredible photographic archive of Black resistance and resilience both in the place from which he was exiled, and the places that he called home.
George Hallett: Home and Exile focuses on the first part of his exile, with a selection of photographs taken in England in the 1970s and 1980s, bearing witness to the contribution of South African exiles to British culture and society. The exhibition is articulated around three major themes: visual artists that include portraits of pioneering figures such as Gerard Sekoto, Dumile Feni and UK-based artist Gavin Jantjes; jazz musicians, among whom the famous band The Blue Notes later known as Brotherhood of Breath; and his designs for the book covers of Heinneman’s African Writers Series then led by South African-born British editor James Currey.
The exhibition concludes with Hallett’s return to South Africa marked by his series on Nelson Mandela during his campaign for South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. These images earned him a World Press Photo Award for People in the News in 1995.
First presented at Clémentine de la Féronnière (Paris) in March 2025 as part of Centre Pompidou’s “Échos Paris noir” programme, this new display, in its expanded version, coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976 that raised awareness on the injustice of the apartheid regime and brought international condemnation.
The accompanying public programme includes artists and curators talks, music, performances and film screenings.
George Hallett: Home and Exile23 April – 3 July 2026Preview: Wednesday 22 April, 5:00pm – 8:00pmBook your preview ticket here
Curator’s Tour with Christine EyeneThursday 23 April, 12:00-1:00pmFreeBook your ticket here
Exhibition Research LabJohn Lennon Art and Design BuildingDuckinfield StreetLiverpool L3 5RD
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Opening times:Monday – Wednesday, 11:00am – 5:00pmThursday, 12:00 – 5:00pmFriday, by appointment