The Palestine Museum in Scotland, located on Edinburgh’s Dundas Street, has welcomed thousands of visitors since its opening, particularly during the festival season.
Despite only opening in late spring, Saleh and his team have no plans to slow down any time soon.
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“The reaction from people has been tremendous, you know, a lot of support from a lot of people,” Saleh said.
“Visitors get very emotional, and I’m not talking about Palestinians. We ask people ‘what’s your Palestinian connection?’ and they say there is none, they’re just human.
“A lot of people come to show empathy. Some of them cried on my shoulder, literally. We have a box of tissues in every room now.
“We’re getting a lot of support and we’re very grateful for the reception we’re getting.”
Saleh went on to describe, however, two incidents where the museum was targeted by vandals. The first occurred in July, where a man glued a poster with the words “Hamas” and “terrorists” to the museum’s entrance sign.
Passersby removed it after spotting it moments after it had been stuck down, though the remnants of the glue are still clearly visible on the sign.
The poster was placed on the museum’s sign (Image: Newsquest) Others later placed stickers of the Star of David across the sign and again, visitors helped remove them.
He said: “We couldn’t get the glue off and we decided not to fix it, just to leave it on for people to see.
“I’m sure those people are a minority and don’t represent the community in anyway, but nonetheless it’s important for others to know that there are some people who see what we are doing as a threat to their narrative.
“I don’t know what they were trying to do but it hasn’t really affected us. They went to all of that trouble and the poster was only up for a minute.”
What’s next for the Palestine Museum in Scotland?
The Palestine Museum features a range of art, including sculptures, paintings, photography and hand-woven clothes, predominantly from artists either stuck in the occupied territories or with Palestinian heritage.
Every piece aims to combat the dehumanisation of Palestinians by sharing art and culture directly from the region, as well as works by international artists.
One of the museum’s exhibitions has now been given a month-long extension due to its popularity. Gaza by Peter Kennard, a renowned photomontage artist, encourages visitors to question world governments and their complicity in the genocide in Gaza through a range of pieces, including one which superimposes a Palestinian child’s face onto a mock Financial Times article.
A section of Kennard’s exhibit (Image: Newsquest) “This exhibit is very interesting because a lot of people are familiar with Peter Kennard. A lot of people have been excited about seeing it”, Saleh explained.
“It’s been open since August 9 and it was going to close at the end of the month, but people were still interested in seeing it, so we thought well, why not keep it a little longer?”
Kennard’s exhibition will remain on display until September 30, after which it will be replaced by work from Gaza-based artist Mohammed Alhaj.
Saleh explained that, since Alhaj is trapped in Gaza, there is no way to have the physical paintings displayed in the Palestine Museum. As a workaround, the team will instead hang high-resolution printed versions of the pieces.
The lead image from Alhaj’s upcoming exhibit (Image: Palestine Museum/Mohammed Alhaj) It’s part of the DIY charm that separates the museum from other galleries on Dundas Street. Saleh and his team make full use of a local art supply shop, as well as ordering furnishings from Ikea.
“We’re not your typical museum”, he said. “We’re very practical, very simple, and we don’t have any bureaucracy, that’s the thing.
“Artists don’t have to wait six years to have an exhibit – they can get one here in about two weeks if we have the space. We’re very active and responsive.”
The museum, which is an offshoot of a larger gallery in Connecticut, USA, is the first of its kind in Europe – for now. Saleh said the museum is looking to expand into Chicago and Toronto, and plans are in motion for a London branch.
When asked why the museum decided upon Edinburgh for its European location, Saleh said: “It’s a lot more cosmopolitan because of the festivals, and also this space we found was so compelling that we couldn’t just walk away from it.
“This block is the art address of Edinburgh. If someone asks where the art is in Edinburgh, they come here.”
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As well as a variety of exhibitions, the museum has started screening films about Palestine. Following the success of a showing of The Palestine Exception, a documentary covering the Palestine protests carried out across American university campuses, Saleh wants to continue screening similar works for visitors.
Additionally, the Palestine Museum in Scotland has sponsored the first UK performance of the play The Invaders’ Fear of Memories. It focuses on the origins of settler colonialism and apartheid in modern day Israel as it explores the life and diaries of Yosef Nachmani – the former director of the Jewish National Fund in Galilee, who played a central role in the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians.
Those wishing to attend the play on September 13 or 14 can purchase tickets here.