The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, within the occupied West Financial institution, is redefining its function in mild of the conflict in Gaza and escalating violence throughout the occupied territories. It’s specializing in analysis, digital entry and worldwide partnerships whereas treading a advantageous line between remaining open to guests and defending its assortment.
“I don’t suppose that is one thing we studied at college—find out how to plan for a conflict and genocide,” Amer Shomali, the director basic of the museum, tells The Artwork Newspaper. “All of the technical features of our work within the museum are altering, radically and quickly.”
Shomali began his job on 8 October 2023, a day after Hamas’s lethal assault on Israel and the launch of Israel’s army offensive in Gaza. The conflict has impacted all of the occupied territories, with Israeli forces closing roads, growing the variety of checkpoints and proscribing Palestinians’ actions. The museum was compelled to shut for 4 months from October 2023 to February 2024.
Shomali and his workforce watched as Israeli airstrikes destroyed a lot of Gaza’s cultural infrastructure—museums, artwork centres, archives and historic websites had been decreased to rubble. In June, an impartial UN investigative physique concluded that a few of these assaults on cultural, spiritual and academic websites throughout occupied Palestinian territory quantity to conflict crimes and the crime towards humanity of extermination. Israel has rejected each this report and findings by the UN particular rapporteur and a variety of human rights teams that Israel’s actions in Gaza are in line with genocide.
Amid rising instability and ongoing disruption, the museum grew involved for its assortment, which incorporates Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century work and embroidery, in addition to political posters. Based by the Taawon affiliation, it was created to protect, promote and revive Palestinian tradition and narratives. It opened to the general public in 2016 after years of planning and fundraising, and now receives round 15,000 guests a 12 months.
Ought to we evacuate the museum and maintain it empty throughout the conflict? Would that imply we’re surrendering?
Amer Shomali, director basic, Palestinian Museum
“After all, we’re afraid of one thing taking place to the gathering; because of this we’re shifting it round to safer locations,” Shomali says. “However on the identical time, we have now this massive query of ought to we evacuate the museum and maintain it empty throughout the conflict? Would that imply we’re surrendering? Does it imply the gathering itself is extra vital than the Palestinians?”
The museum has taken precautions to guard its holdings by holding work exhibited in Europe safely there, and creating worldwide tasks. One such partnership led to an exhibition on the V&A Dundee in Scotland. Thread Reminiscence: Embroidery from Palestine, which opened on 26 June, explores the artwork and legacy of tatreez—the traditional observe of Palestinian hand embroidery. Exceptional for its regional variation, and primarily undertaken by girls, tatreez displays the social and cultural id of Palestinian folks. Lots of the gadgets on show come from the Palestinian Museum’s assortment and had been at an exhibition of the identical identify at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Artwork Jameel, till April.
A shift in museum observe
In February 2024, the Palestinian Museum mounted a daring present spotlighting Gazan artists, That is Not an Exhibition, a choice that mirrored the workforce’s perception to “stand collectively within the face of genocide”, Shomali says.
Working with artists in Gaza, the museum secured loans from personal collectors and establishments throughout Palestine. As phrase unfold, guests introduced Gazan items of their very own to incorporate. “We began shifting work round, releasing some house so as to add new art work,” Shomali says. The exhibition, nonetheless on show, now options 335 works by 122 artists, a minimum of 5 of whom have been killed.
The Gaza Stays the Story exhibition has been introduced in 120 places worldwide Courtesy of Palestinian Museum/Samy Images
The present marked a significant shift in museum observe, inviting the general public to co-author the exhibition and form its narrative. However reaching its viewers—80% of whom are within the diaspora and unable to entry the museum, Shomali says—has required artistic options. “We began turning our weak point into our energy, turning into custodians of the nationwide assortment world wide,” he says, including that they started to “suppose exterior the field and outdoors of the partitions of the museum”.
This led to Gaza Stays the Story, a free downloadable digital exhibition. It consists of 35 works by Gazan artists, 60 archival images, 44 informative boards and hyperlinks to movies and podcasts, full with captions, QR codes and set up guides. It has been introduced in 120 places worldwide, with demand persevering with. The success has prompted the museum to digitise as many programmes as attainable. Two extra exhibitions are deliberate for digital launch, together with With My Personal Eyes, a present present by French photographer Joss Dray.
Whereas increasing digitally, the museum can be aiding the rescue of Palestinian heritage in Gaza, with colleagues evacuating round 25% of the collections from the rubble; Shomali says the remaining are destroyed or looted. One salvaged embroidered gown from Rafah Museum options within the Dundee present.
However the conflict in Gaza has additionally plunged the museum into monetary disaster. Shomali says many former European and American funders have lower ties, whereas Palestinian and Arab donors are actually centered on pressing aid in Gaza. “We aren’t going to compete with Gaza—supporting Gaza on the bottom is a precedence,” Shomali says. “However the museum is in a really fragile monetary state of affairs.” He says anybody can donate by way of the museum’s web site to assist maintain its work.
In a unstable setting, Shomali says the museum nonetheless stays dedicated to its long-term aim—a everlasting exhibition that displays the historical past of Palestine and its folks. In the meantime, it’s in talks with different cultural establishments concerning the embroidery exhibition’s subsequent cease. “We’ll attempt to maintain it travelling till it’s safer to get it again residence,” Shomali says.
