In light of what Jerusalem continues to face from exclusionary policies enforced by militarization and closure, the Palestinian Museum has created a multi-faceted project and exhibition, JERUSALEM LIVES, which aims to focus on the living aspect of the city and support its people. The exhibition attempts to examine the city of Jerusalem as a case study metaphorically representing globalization and its failures, and find answers to inspire a better future. Veering away from clichés, the exhibition will expose the neoliberal colonial and imperial challenges imposed by the Israeli occupation that Jerusalem and its people are facing. Could the title Tahya Al Quds be transformed from a mere slogan into an invitation to present real content and support for life in the city? What are the stories of collective resistance? How do we make Jerusalem live?
Four chapters explore the concept, beginning with a multidisciplinary exhibition displaying audiovisual materials that demonstrate the emanation, effects, and limitations of globalization in the city of Jerusalem. Commissioned or refabricated site-specific artworks by 18 Palestinian and international artists form the second chapter, in the grounds and gardens of the Palestinian Museum. In the third chapter, the public program aims at supporting civic and nongovernmental associations in the city that have adopted an enduring methodology of collective struggle. Developed at the museum’s initiative on the basis of a working relationship and stimulating dialogue with various local organizations, the inaugural exhibition of the Palestinian Museum will provide a platform for a group of fellow institutions to undertake and broaden a series of long-term compelling projects. The fourth chapter, the JERUSALEM LIVES publication, focuses on knowledge production as a frontier of resistance. In partnership with the journal Jerusalem Quarterly, a special edition celebrating the lives of renowned Jerusalemites has been produced to anchor the editorial component of this multilayered curatorial project.
Participating artists
Ruanne Abou Rahme and Basel Abbas, Sultan bin Fahad, Bisan Abu Eisheh, Naji Al Ali, Maria Thereza Alves, Nabil Anani, Nahed Awwad, Samira Badran, Tayseer Barakat, Simone Bitton, Kamal Boullata, CAMP, Rain Wu and Eric Chen, Bob Gramsma, Ra’ouf Haj Yihya, Khalil Halabi, Samia Halaby, Rula Halawani, Mona Hatoum, Khaled Hourani, Iman Issa, Ahed Izhiman, Athar Jaber, Emily Jacir, Khaled Jarrar, Marwa Jbara, Mohammed Kazem, Muqata’a, Yazan Khalili, Bashir Makhoul, Sliman Mansour, Oscar Murillo, Ibrahim Noubani, Khalil Rabah, Khalil Rayyan, Sudarshan Shetty, Nida Sinnokrot, Dennis Sobeh, Vera Tamari, Vladimir Tamari, Adrian Villar Rojas, Visualizing Palestine, Inass Yassin, Mohanad Yaqubi.
Partner institutions
in Jerusalem The African Community Society, Arab Studies Association, the Palestinian National Theatre – El-Hakawati, Silwan Club, Al-Bustan Association Silwan, Al Budeiri Library, Grassroots Jerusalem, Jerusalem Quarterly.
Donors
This exhibition is supported by a number of Palestinian, arab, and international donor organizations and individuals, including: Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, The Asfari Foundation, Bank of Palestine, Ibn Al Quds, Luay Shafiq Khoury, Dr. Nabil Hani Qaddumi, Samer Said Khoury, and Suheil Haseeb Sabbagh.
About the Palestinian Museum
The Palestinian Museum is an independent museum dedicated to supporting an open and dynamic Palestinian culture nationally and internationally. The Museum presents and engages with new perspectives on Palestinian history, society, and culture. It offers spaces for creative ventures, educational programs, and innovative research. The Museum is a flagship project of Taawon (the Welfare Association).
