Museum on the Seam

The facade of the museum

The Museum on the Seam is a socio-political contemporary art museum in Jerusalem, Israel. The museum raises controversial social issues that stand at the center of public opinion for discussion. In the spirit of human rights and civic duties, it brings social and moral change in face of a complex and conflict-ridden reality. At the center of the changing exhibitions at the museum stand the national, ethnic and economic seam lines in their local and universal contexts.

The museum was initiated and established by Raphie Etgar who serves as its Artistic Director, with the support of the von Holtzbrinck family of Germany, through the Jerusalem Foundation and was chosen by the New York Times as one of the leading 29 art venues around the globe.[1]

The various exhibitions displayed at the museum are participated by some of today's leading artists, such as: Anselm Kiefer, Bruce Nauman, Bill Viola, Christian Boltanski, Sophie Calle, Wim Wenders, Thomas Hirschhorn, Gilbert & George, Paul McCarthy, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Douglas Gordon, William Kentridge, Santiago Sierra, Alfredo Jaar, Edward Burtynsky, Yael Bartana, Michal Rovner, Dani Karavan, Moshe Gershuni, Micha Ullman, Joshua Neustein, Larry Abramson, Sigalit Landau, Tsibi Geva, Menashe Kadishman, Miki Kratsman, Gilad Ophir, Michal Na'aman and many others.[2]

The Museum's Building

Museum on the Seam- Facade- Dani Karavan's Piece

The museum is located in a neo-classical building; built by Christian-Arab Architect Anton Barmki in 1932. During the years Jerusalem was divided (1948-1967), the house was turned into an Israeli military outpost- situated on the border between Israel and Jordan overlooking the Mandelbaum Gate, which served as the only passage between the two parts of the divided city at the time. During the battles of the 1967 War, the house suffered hits from shells and bullets which left their marks on the building and are apparent to this day. In the year 1981 the house was renovated and turned into an historical museum that commemorated the reunification of the city. In the year 1999, in the spirit of the Oslo Accords and the attempts to bring peace to the region, the building underwent change and a new permanent exhibition, calling for tolerance and mutual understating between people in the region, was displayed.

Since 2005, the building serves as a home to the Museum on the Seam- a Socio Political Contemporary Art Museum. The turbulent history of the building serves as silent testimony to the political changes that Jerusalem and the whole country of Israel underwent; from its function as a private residence of a Palestinian family, through its usage as an Israeli army outpost, and currently as a socio-political museum committed to create a dialogue and build bridges of understanding in this very place.

Exhibitions

In 2000 Museum on the Seam produces, as an initiative by Raphie Etgar, the exhibition COEXISTANCE:[3] an international project that incorporates many leading poster designers from around the globe. The project was displayed in over 35 cities in different continents and called for mutual understanding between fellow nations and religions. Its global Journey was endorsed and supported by world leaders and thinkers.

Further Reading

Museum on the Seam- Interior

External Links

References

  1. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E2D9143AF934A25756C0A96F9C8B63
  2. ↑ http://www.mots.org.il/Eng/Index.asp
  3. ↑ http://www.coexistence.art.museum/Coex/Index.asp