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Palestinian Museum Opens Without Single Exhibit, Work of Art

The Israeli separation barrier in the West Bank city of Bethlehem / AP
May 18, 2016

A Palestinian museum is gearing up to open in the West Bank Wednesday, but the building is missing a crucial component: its exhibits.

The $24 million history and culture museum created by Palestinian filmmaker Omar al-Quattan is void of art and relics despite hosting an inauguration gala complete with diplomats, artists, and investors from across the world, the Washington Post reported.

Quattan told international publication BLOUIN ARTINFO that the museum had yet to solicit any works because "until recently" the curators "didn’t have storage." He also said its tough to transport works in because many of the art collectors and collections are located outside of the nation and have to undergo scrutiny by Israeli authorities.

The museum board of directors meanwhile told the Post that out of "necessity" they would first construct the museum and then later bring in collections and create exhibits.

"Some institutions build a shell around their existing collections. We decided to build the institution first," he said.

The Washington Post reported:

The fact that the Palestinian Museum is opening without an inaugural exhibit seems embarrassing at first — and it supports the impression that the Palestinians simply cannot get their act together, that they have built an empty monument. On the front of the New York Times culture pages earlier this week was the headline, "Palestinian Museum Is Set to Open, Empty of Art." The newspaper the National, published out of the United Arab Emirates, went with "Palestinian museum opens offering hope but lacking exhibits."

Quattan defended its opening, arguing that unlike many public museums in the West, the Palestinian Museum was built entirely through private funds—"despite checkpoints, walls, occupation."

He ultimately hopes the museum will house "everyday objects and historical epherma" along with art.

"We’re building an infrastructure to assemble a lot of video and audiovisual archives from homes as well as institutions and to digitize all of this. In terms of contemporary art, we hope to be able to invite people to donate pieces and to purchase paintings, sculpture, and other media," he told BLOUIN ARTINFO.

Published under: Israel