Exhibition-Making Practices, 1917-1993

Exhibition-making in Palestine has long served as a cultural and political practice, shaping national identity, mobilizing resistance, and engaging with global audiences. Over the course of the twentieth century, Palestinian exhibitions have served as critical sites for the cultivation and critique of taste, both within broader Palestinian art movements as well as among the Palestinian people; the operationalization of national sentiment and political consciousness in response to unfolding public and political events; and the mobili­zation of international support around the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause. Over the past century, in response to colonization, settler colonization, and military occupation, different Palestinian actors have helped shape how Palestinian culture is represented and shared publicly; often through curatorial practices that gradually became closely tied to national identity.

This essay provides an overview of exhibition-making practices from 1917 to 1993 within the major historical transformations of the period, while foregrounding key events, institutional frameworks, and curatorial strategies. It excludes commercial or missionary trade fairs commonly referred to as “exhibitions” and focuses on art and cultural exhibitions aimed at shaping collective consciousness.

Early Exhibitions under British Rule (1917–1948)

During the British Mandate (1917–1948), exhibitions in Palestine developed alongside colonial efforts to control and classify local culture. The British administration supported exhibitions that promoted Zionist settlement, such as Palestine’s presence in the 1924 British Empire Exhibition and the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition . These exhibitions framed Palestine within the British imperialist narrative, often portraying Zionist settlement as a civilizing mission while marginalizing the diversity of indigenous Palestinian cultures and identities. Palestinian embroidery, ceramics, and handicrafts appeared at such exhibitions but were frequently framed within a colonial narrative that erased their national identity.

During the same period, Palestinian exhibitions emerged as spaces for community building and anti-imperialist expression. The First Arab Exhibition of 1933, held at the Palace Hotel in Jerusalem , was a landmark event. Organized by journalist Isa al-Isa , it showcased Palestinian industrial, agricultural, and artistic achievements (such as the work of pioneering artist Zulfa al-Sa'di ). This exhibition as well as its successor, the Second Arab Exhibition of 1934, helped foster a recognition of art as a vehicle for national expression. By the late 1930s and early 1940s, Palestinian artists and intellectuals began using exhibitions to challenge British and Zionist narratives. Some exhibitions focused explicitly on Palestinian heritage, photographic displays of daily life under colonial rule, the economic transformations occurring in Palestine, and the increasing Zionist presence. Local institutions such as the Arab Orthodox Union Club and the YMCA in Jerusalem as well as other social, cultural, and educational establishments increasingly hosted exhibitions of calligraphy, painting, and crafts, fostering an early culture of exhibition-making in larger Palestinian cities– as well as an audience for them, mostly affluent or intellectual Palestinians. These early exhibitions laid a foundation for Palestinian artistic identity, becoming crucial venues for shaping public taste and for solidifying an evolving cultural identity in the face of growing political pressures.

Exhibition Practices in Exile and Fragmentation (1948–1964)

The 1948 Nakba , which saw the displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians, disrupted cultural institutions but did not eliminate exhibition-making practices. In exile, Palestinian artists and intellectuals used exhibitions to document loss, preserve cultural identity, and communicate the national struggle. The destruction of Palestinian towns, villages, and cultural institutions necessitated new spaces for artistic expression, often in refugee camps, schools, and community centers in the diaspora.

In the 1950s, exhibitions held in refugee camps—such as Ismail Shammout ’s 1953 exhibition in Khan Yunis , later displayed in Cairo —reflected these themes. Shammout’s paintings, depicting the suffering of Palestinian refugees, became symbols of Palestinian identity. His later works, in collaboration with Tamam al-Akhal , continued this tradition, using exhibitions as a means of asserting Palestinian resilience and establishing Palestinian iconography, which would gain popularity and influence art movements in the aftermath of the Nakba. The UNRWA and local refugee committees in Lebanon , Syria , and Jordan also supported exhibitions that sought to affirm Palestinian cultural identity amidst exile.

During this period, exhibitions were often mobile, traveling from one location to another to reach a broader audience. Many works focused on themes of exile, loss, and resilience, portraying not only the suffering of Palestinians but also their determination to preserve their cultural heritage. The exhibitions would be staged to mark public holidays and celebrations of victories, such as the situated withdrawal of Israeli forces from some Palestinian cities like Gaza on March 7, 1957, with temporary installations created in schools and local community halls. Public participation in these events was taken as a sign of patriotism, and the exhibitions, in turn, presented their audiences with an affirmation of their national identity. During this period, prominent artists like Mustafa al-Hallaj and Abdul Hay Musallam Zarara developed distinct styles that merged folk traditions with contemporary political messages, influencing later Palestinian exhibition practices.

At the same time, Palestinian exhibitions began to connect with broader Arab and international movements. In Cairo, Damascus , and Beirut , Palestinian artists showcased their work in pan-Arab exhibitions, linking their struggle to the wider anti-colonial movements of the time. The Arab League and institutions like Dar Alfann in Lebanon provided platforms for Palestinian artists, expanding their reach beyond the refugee camps and into international art circles.

The Rise of Institutional Exhibition-Making and Cultural Diplomacy (1964–1987)

With the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964, exhibitions became an essential medium for political resistance and international diplomacy. The PLO Department of Arts and National Culture , led by Ismail Shammout, institutionalized exhibition-making, commissioning artists and organizing international shows. Art became a central tool for conveying the Palestinian narrative, often accompanying diplomatic missions and political conferences.

From the late 1960s, Palestinian exhibitions gained global visibility. The General Union of Palestinian Artists (1969) helped organize exhibitions in solidarity with liberation movements worldwide. These exhibitions were part of a broader cultural strategy, reinforcing the PLO’s diplomatic efforts by showcasing Palestinian resilience and cultural identity. The PLO’s cultural wing also organized film screenings, poster exhibitions, and heritage displays, integrating visual culture into the national struggle.

One of the most significant events was the International Art Exhibition for Palestine (1978), held at the Beirut Arab University and curated by Nasir al-Sumi with the involvement of the director of the Plastic Arts Section artist Mona Saudi and French artist Claude Lazar . The exhibition featured more than 200 artworks donated by artists from 30 countries, including Joan Miró , Julio Le Parc , Dia Azzawi , and Ziad Dalloul . It was intended to form the nucleus of a future Museum of Solidarity with Palestine. Though the bulk of the collection was destroyed during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Beirut , a portion was dispatched and exhibited internationally—in Tokyo , Oslo , Tehran , and other cities—as documented in various sources including the Journal of Palestine Studies .

Under the oversight of Ismail Shammout in the Department of Arts and National Culture and of Mona Saudi in the Plastic Arts Section, the exhibition format became a strategic tool to assert the cultural and humanistic dimensions of the Palestinian struggle, positioning it firmly within global circuits of solidarity and political discourse. These exhibitions, often organized in coordination with PLO representation offices, marked a significant elevation of the PLO’s international cultural engagement. (Shammout critically reflected upon these exhibitions in publications like the Palestine Research Center ’s Shu'un Filastiniyya .) Notable examples include the 1979 Palestinian Folk Art Exhibition at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin , which later traveled to Warsaw , Budapest , Prague , and the State Museum of Oriental Arts in Moscow (1980). Exhibitions were also held at the UN Headquarters in New York and the UNESCO building in Paris during the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 1978 and 1979. And in Japan in 1979, painter and sculptor Jumana al-Husseini organized an exhibition of drawings made by Palestinian children, while artists Tawfiq Abdul-Aal , Nasir al-Sumi, and Michel Najjar curated a six-section exhibition for the World Conference in Solidarity with the Arab People and Their Central Issue: Palestine at the National Association of Fine Arts in Lisbon .

Within Palestine, exhibition-making also flourished despite Israeli military censorship. The League of Palestinian Artists (established in the 1970s) organized annual exhibitions beginning in 1975, with shows traveling across Jerusalem, Ramallah , Gaza, and Amman . Curatorial committees became central to these practices. The League of Palestinian Artists formed an Exhibitions and Curation Committee in 1979 to professionalize display strategies, promote education, and push for a permanent museum space. Gallery 79 in Ramallah, the first dedicated exhibition gallery opened in 1979 by the committee members artists Nabil Anani , Suleiman Mansour , and Kamel Mughanni , served as a hub for artistic production and education until its closure by the Israeli occupation in 1980. The Plastic Arts Section of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine , operating as a “union within a union,” also staged exhibitions that integrated multimedia and popular culture across refugee camps in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Exhibitions During the First Intifada (1987–1993)

During the outbreak of the First Intifada (1987–1993), exhibitions assumed new urgency. Amid widespread uprisings, exhibitions documented resistance, commemorated fallen martyrs, and reinforced Palestinian sumud (steadfastness). Annual exhibitions of the League of Palestinian Artists such as the 1988 Eleventh Annual Exhibition , held at the El-Hakawati National Theatre in Jerusalem, became a focal point for cultural resistance. These included satellite exhibitions in Haifa , Nazareth , and Umm al-Fahm and even extended to Cairo, Geneva , and Washington, DC . The scope and reach of these exhibitions reflected not only a growing international solidarity but also an intensified effort to assert the Palestinian presence across fragmented geographies.

During this period, artists increasingly turned to experimental and site-specific installations, circumventing restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities and relying on facsimiles to ensure the safety of artworks and to mitigate their loss by confiscation. Exhibitions were staged in refugee camps, community centers, and even private homes ensuring broad public engagement, at times using draped textiles to create appropriate displays. The Experiment and Innovation Group , composed of artists like Nabil Anani, Suleiman Mansour, and Vera Tamari , laid the groundwork for the later establishment of the Al-Wasiti Art Centre (1994) in Jerusalem.

The Intifada also saw the rise of politically explicit art, with exhibitions featuring works that directly referenced the occupation, resistance, and martyrdom. Posters, graffiti, and street exhibitions became alternative modes of artistic expression, often drawing from earlier traditions of revolutionary art in Latin America and Africa. Palestinian exhibitions in this period thus operated as both cultural interventions and acts of defiance against Israeli control.

Conclusion

Between 1917 and 1993, Palestinian exhibition-making evolved into a distinct cultural praxis that fused political resistance with artistic representation. From its early manifestations under British rule to its institutionalization under the PLO and its radical adaptations during the First Intifada, exhibition-making became a powerful medium for national expression and international advocacy. These exhibitions not only resisted colonial and settler-colonial erasure but also cultivated a sense of collective identity among Palestinians communities both in Palestine and across its diaspora. Whether within Palestine or in exile, exhibitions served as spaces for shaping national identity, resisting continued attempts at cultural erasure, and as a medium for Palestinian representation and for fostering international solidarity.