Europe’s first museum of contemporary Palestinian art opens in Edinburgh

Europe’s first museum of contemporary Palestinian art which aims to “redefine the narrative around Palestinian identity, art, and resilience” has opened in Edinburgh.

The Palestine Museum in Scotland features work from a range of Palestinian artists showcasing paintings, sculptures and installations.

The museum, which opens in central Edinburgh on Saturday, is the first of its kind in Europe and aims to counteract the “dehumanisation” of the Palestinian people by illustrating their culture and narrative through art.

Under Observation by Hamada Elkept, a visual artist from Gaza based in Brussels (Hamada Elkept/PA)

“We wanted to be in the best location in Edinburgh, because we want people to know that as Palestinians, we are not helpless victims, we are talented people,” curator and director Faisal Saleh told the PA news agency.

“The reason we are creating this museum is to allow people to understand the truth of what’s happening and we are using Palestinian art as a means to communicate the Palestinian narrative.

“We want people to see our artwork and to see that Palestinians are human.

“All these efforts to dehumanise and to erase the Palestinians are not working, and we are hereby opening a museum that is full of beautiful artwork.”

The museum in Edinburgh, is the first branch of an existing museum in Woodbridge, Connecticut called the Palestine Museum US.

Mr Saleh said the team had originally tried to open the museum in the building that previously held the Israeli embassy in Dublin following Israel’s announcement that it would shut down.

However after a lot of push back from the building’s owners the team decided on Edinburgh as a location given the city’s festival culture.

The Palestine Museum in Scotland showcases work from both international and local Palestinian artists.

It features artist Samia Halaby, who won a special mention at last year’s Venice Biennale, and work by 81-year-old Nabil Anani, who is regarded as a key founder of the contemporary Palestinian art movement.

Faisal Saleh with Yasmina Ferrigan at the opening of the Palestine Museum in Scotland (Fraser Wilson/PA)

Sana Farah Bishara, a Nazareth-born sculptor based in Haifa, also features, as well as recent works created in Gaza by Mohammed Alhaj and Maisara Baroud.

“We have children’s drawings from Gaza that are being exhibited.

“We have embroidery pieces,” said Mr Saleh.

“We also have some installations representing the forced evacuations.

“We have a keffiyeh bundle.

“It’s a bundle of memories that represents what Palestinians leave when they get kicked out of their homes.”

The museum is also exhibiting work by local artists in Edinburgh including a bronze bust sculpture of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been detained by the Israeli army since December.

A University of Edinburgh professor is exhibiting three smaller sculptures depicting Palestinians in Gaza mourning their dead children.

“It’s a very emotional expression of pain memorialising what happened in Gaza, in sculpture and in paintings,” said Mr Saleh.

Mr Saleh, a US Palestinian entrepreneur based in Connecticut, said he has been blown away by the reception he has received in Edinburgh.

“We’ve got some special treatment for being Palestinian so it’s been a great experience so far,” he said.

“We really appreciate the Scottish hospitality.”

The Palestine Museum Scotland is an independent, not-for-profit organisation and will be run by volunteers.