During weeks of war in Israel, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art closed its galleries and moved a rare exhibition, "The Day Is Gone: 100 Years of the New Objectivity," into reinforced protected spaces. Director Tania Coen-Uzzielli then created guided tours inside the shelter, complete with live piano music and interpretation, allowing visitors to experience the artworks in a space designed for safety rather than display. The tour, titled "The Event Has Not Ended," plays on the automated safety notification that signals the end of a siren threat, suggesting that the event of war never truly ends.
This initiative matters because it reimagines the museum's role during crisis, transforming a shelter from a mere storage space into a curated cultural venue. Coen-Uzzielli's decision to keep the exhibition accessible—rather than shifting it to a purely digital format—preserves the physical encounter with rare works while adapting to the realities of war. The project demonstrates how cultural institutions can maintain relevance and public engagement even when normal operations are impossible, offering a model for resilience in conflict zones.