Palestinian Museum Opens First Exhibition 'Jerusalem Lives'

The Palestinian Museum in Bir Zeit, near Jerusalem, opened its first exhibition 'Jerusalem Lives' on August 27, 2017, three months after its May 17 inauguration. The museum, an independent institution founded by the Welfare Association in 1997, had opened without a show due to disputes between former director Jack Persekian and the board. Curated by Reem Fadda, former associate curator of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, the exhibition explores Jerusalem as a living city despite barriers, militarization, and exclusion. It is divided into four chapters: a central show with works by Rula Halawani and Simone Bitton, plus 60 images from a Facebook open call; 20 large-scale works in the museum gardens by artists including Oscar Murillo, Mona Hatoum, Emily Jacir, and Khaled Jarrar; off-site events at other Palestinian institutions; and a special edition of Jerusalem Quarterly serving as the catalogue. The exhibition runs until December 15, 2017.