The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, West Bank, is adapting its operations amid the ongoing war in Gaza and escalating violence across occupied territories. Director General Amer Shomali, who began his role on October 8, 2023, describes how the museum has shifted focus to research, digital access, and international partnerships while protecting its collection. The museum closed for four months from October 2023 to February 2024, and has since moved artworks to safer locations, including keeping paintings exhibited in Europe abroad. It mounted a bold exhibition, "This is Not an Exhibition," featuring 335 works by 122 Gazan artists, at least five of whom have been killed, and collaborated on "Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine" at the V&A Dundee in Scotland.
This matters because the museum is redefining its role under extreme duress, grappling with existential questions about whether to evacuate its collection or keep it accessible as an act of cultural resistance. The war has destroyed much of Gaza's cultural infrastructure, and an independent UN investigation concluded that some attacks on cultural sites may constitute war crimes. The museum's efforts to preserve Palestinian heritage and narratives while navigating a crisis that threatens both its physical holdings and its community highlight the broader struggle for cultural survival in conflict zones. Its approach offers a model for how cultural institutions can remain relevant and resilient when facing systemic violence and displacement.