Peoples Museum 1

29 april – 16 maj 2008

Peoples Museum

Since the first project in Palestine by Parfyme and YNKB: ”Cinema,
realized in Bethlehem in cooperation with Dar Al Kalima Documentary
film school, march 2007, Parfyme and YNKB together with Palestinian
Artist Majdi Hadid has developed the project: ”Peoples Museum”.

This project is a new, different approach to the concept of museum.
It is about how people want to represent themselves.
PM could be situated everywhere. Our idea is to establish a Peoples
Museum in a specific site in Palestine, since we believe that this
project will not only be highlighting the local peoples daily life,
which is lived in spite of 60 years of constant sufferings under an
unjust occupation but also empowering them and telling the world other
stories than the constant images of war and conflict being launched
through the world media.
The Artifacts as well as the idea of the museum is to be developed
through dialogue between artists and art students and the residents
in the specific area. The site has been decided to be the old village
of Birzeit, close to Ramallah.
The main partner for the project is IAAP – International Art
Academy Palestine, and and the local organization Al-Rozana. The project
is funded by DCCD.
During a stay in Ramallah and Birzeit April 29 – May 9, 2008
the first step was taken for realizing Peoples Museum.

The first Peoples Museum will be established in the old town of Birzeit,
a beautiful village from the ottoman period with traditional farmers
houses. Unfortunately many of the villagers have left the old city
for to move into more modern houses. A local organization: Al-Rozana
wants to stop this, and together with the organization RIWAQ they
are working on restoring the beautiful historical houses and bringing
back life to the old village.
Peoples Museum see it self as part of this and want to join forces
with the efforts of Al –Rozana, who on their part bid the project
of Peoples Museum welcome in the old city of Birzeit and Al-Rozana
offered a restored empty house for the PM.

During Parfyme and YNKB stay in Birzeit we made a presentation of
the project and the house in Birzeit for the students, artists and
residents of Birzeit on Tuesday may 6. In the week before Parfyme
and YNKB had a workshop in IAAP, introducing the students for the
idea and prepared them for working on the Peoples Museum project.
Parfyme and YNKB also made contacts to the local Latin school, an
elder center, the Roman Catholic Church as well as establishing contacts
to local artists (Al-Maht-a), who all enthusiastically agreed to cooperate
in creating Peoples Museum in Birzeit.
Peoples Musum has a supporting Committee with representatives from
Al-Hoash, Al-Manal, IAAP, RIWAQ,Al-Rozana and virtual Gallery
Next step in creating Peoples Museum will be to present peoples Museum
to the citizens of Birzeit at the Birzeit Summer Festival organized
by Al-Rozana, which will take place July 13-19, 2008.
See project desciption


Peoples Museum house


The house has two stores. This is the upper store, where people lived.


Under the upper floor is the cellar, where the animals were.

Outside
is a beautiful yard. It has been the place where most of the inhabitant’s
daily activities took place.


Pelle from Parfyme and Reem from Internatinal Art Academy Palestine
is preparing the grill


On the roof is the dome. Dima, Omaya and Mofayad from IAAP enjoys
the beautiful view to the Palestinian countryside.
Artist, students and visitors on the day of presentation of Peoples
Museum.
The sign of Peoples Museum is hanged on the wall.


Mofayad and Awaftef is repairing a table for Peoples Museum


The old village of Birzeit. Peoples Museum House is seen to the left

.
This wooden jar was found in the house. It has been used for preparing
bread. It tells its own story of life in the village through the reparations.