Birzeit: Amid the exceptional global circumstances and the precautionary measures taken to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the Palestinian Museum closed its doors to visitors on March 7th out of concern for the safety of the public and its staff. Opting to offer the public a museum experience through its digital and social media platforms, the Museum launched its Museum from Home: Palestine perseveres campaign.
The campaign reinforces the Palestinian Museum’s vocation as a transnational institution, endeavouring to foster links among Palestinians everywhere through its online platforms and archives and through a network of local and global partnerships. The campaign aims to provide content about Palestinian history and culture while offering the public an opportunity to visit the Palestinian Museum virtually and to explore their personal ‘museums’ at home (their photographs, archives and objects). The public is also encouraged to interact with their own archives and to investigate their personal histories, which are integral to the history of Palestine. Tips on archive preservation are also provided. The campaign also seeks to provide a learning platform for Palestinian families to assist them in coping with the stresses of the current crisis.
Director General of the Palestinian Museum, Adila Laïdi-Hanieh, PhD said, ‘What the Museum is offering now complements Palestinians’ unflagging perseverance. As Palestinians, we have known invasions, sieges and curfews and have had unique experiences with popular education. We overcame those trials with resolve, and today, we continue our work. We opened in 2016 as a transnational museum and now launch our #MuseumFromHome #PalestinePerseveres campaign to provide cultural and educational content tailored for all sectors of Palestinian society, and to all those interested in Palestine.’
The Museum from Home campaign launched with a virtual tour video, published on the Museum’s YouTube page, of its latest curated show, Glimmer of a Grove Beyond. The show explores representations of Palestinian land and natural geography through an array of political posters drawn from the Palestinian Museum’s permanent collection. The video includes a tour of the Museum’s collections room with Museum Registrar, Baha Jubeh, who explains how collections are preserved and stored. It concludes with a tour of the show itself with curator Adele Jarrar.
The Palestinian Museum continues to develop two online platforms showcasing its unique digital projects: Palestinian Journeys and the Palestinian Museum Digital Archive. A joint project with the Institute for Palestine Studies, Palestinian Journeys explores many facets of the Palestinian experience. Rich with historical accounts, biographies and stories, it seeks to weave a comprehensive narrative that highlights the role that Palestinians have in shaping their history. The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive contains tens of thousands of items, including photographs, historical documents, books, film and audio recordings. In addition to being a dynamic resource for knowledge, the Digital Archive is material evidence of the history of Palestinian daily life.
In the coming period, the campaign will present a series of interactive videos inspired by the Museum’s projects, in addition to virtual tours of its past exhibitions, contests, educational games, and varied content about Palestinian arts, literature and history.