.jpeg)
In Birzeit, West Bank, a striking new museum will open Wednesday without a single item hung on the walls. It's not an intentional artistic move. Instead, the $24 million Palestinian Museum, built to celebrate history and culture, has suspended its highly promoted “Never Part" show after a disagreement over the inaugural exhibit between the museum’s board and its director. According to The New York Times, the internal turmoil ended with the director's abrupt departure and cancellation of the exhibit set to showcase artifacts from the six million Palestinian refugees around the world. Though there will be an opening ceremony to celebrate the completion of the museum and its facilities, a spokeswoman said “there will not be any artwork exhibited in the museum at all.”
Still, some say erecting the museum is an achievement in and of itself: Despite its empty walls, after nearly eight months of construction, the largest museum focusing on Palestinian culture will open with the country's soon-to-be first LEED-certified building, outdoor amphitheater, and large garden. According to the museum, the empty space in the West Bank will be open to the public with free admission as of June 1. Visitors looking for actual exhibits will have to head to Beirut, where the museum will open a satellite exhibition on May 25 called “At the Seams: A Political History of Palestinian Embroidery.” Because of travel restrictions into the West Bank, the museum also plans to open outposts in Amman, Jordan; Santiago, Chile; and Michigan.
Plus: Vote for your favorite hotels, cities, airlines, and, more in the 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards survey.