"At the V&A, a memorial to resistance: an exploration of Palestinian textiles and embroidery as a form of uprising"
In the heart of Scotland, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Dundee is currently hosting an extraordinary exhibition that bears witness to the resilience of the Palestinian people. Titled 'Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine', the showcase presents hundreds of garments, textiles, photographs, and artefacts spanning nearly 150 years of Palestinian history.
The exhibition is a collaborative effort with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank and Hayy Jameel, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It showcases personal photo albums documenting the 45-year twin city partnership between Dundee and Nablus in Palestine, and offers a radical insistence that Palestinian life, in all its color, complexity, and creativity, will not be silenced by violence.
One of the standout pieces is Ayham Hassan Musleh's 'IM-MORTAL MAGENTA' collection, which references bullet-proof vests worn by local journalists. Another highlight is a dress worn by Nadia El-Nakla, wife of Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, at his 2023 inauguration.
The embroidery in Palestine is not merely decorative; it is a language passed down through generations of women, serving as a vernacular of identity, belonging, and resistance. Each village once had its own distinct patterns, colours, and motifs; visual dialects that carried personal and communal histories.
Many garments from the British Mandate era in Palestine (1920-1948) include linings made from British imported tartans and textiles, remnants of a colonial power whose policies of partition and displacement continue to reverberate through Palestinian life.
The exhibition also features contemporary Palestinian fashion designs, such as Zeid Hijazi's design, inspired by a Tunisian sci-fi film, Bedouin Hacker, which combines tartan-tatreez and symbolizes technological resistance.
Unfortunately, the current status of cultural heritage sites in Palestine reflects the challenges posed by ongoing conflicts and political tensions. Following the events of October 2023, several key developments have impacted these sites.
The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, for instance, faced significant disruptions due to the conflict. It was closed for four months from October 2023 to February 2024, during which time it witnessed the destruction of cultural infrastructure in Gaza, including museums and art centers.
In response to the crisis, the Palestinian Museum has shifted focus towards digital exhibitions and international partnerships, such as the current collaboration with V&A Dundee. This includes showcasing works by contemporary Gazan artists to maintain cultural engagement despite the challenging circumstances.
The exhibition 'Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine' runs at V&A Dundee until Spring 2026, offering a poignant reminder of the resilience and strength of the Palestinian people in the face of adversity. It is a testament to the power of art and culture as a means of preserving history and fostering understanding.
[References] [1] UNESCO, 2023. Old City of Jerusalem and Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Palestine) - List of World Heritage in Danger. [Online] Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/156 [Accessed 10 April 2023]. [2] Al Jazeera, 2023. Palestinian Museum in Birzeit reopens after four months of closure. [Online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/3/palestinian-museum-in-birzeit-reopens-after-four-months-of-closure [Accessed 10 April 2023]. [3] Amnesty International, 2023. Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Attacks on cultural heritage amount to war crimes. [Online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/03/israel-occupied-palestinian-territories-attacks-on-cultural-heritage-amount-to-war-crimes/ [Accessed 10 April 2023].
The exhibition at V&A Dundee, 'Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine,' not only demonstrates the creativity and resilience of the Palestinian people but also serves as a platform for political discourse, featuring personal photo albums documenting Dundee's 45-year twin city partnership with Nablus in Palestine.
The showcase, a collaboration with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit and Hayy Jameel, highlights the significance of Palestinian lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, and politics, using embroidery as a means of expressing identity, history, and resistance. Unfortunately, the ongoing war-and-conflicts and political tensions have negatively impacted cultural heritage sites in Palestine, including the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, which faced disruptions and witnessed the destruction of cultural infrastructure during the October 2023 conflict.
