Minister of Culture H E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani with other officials during the opening of the exhibition in Katara.
The travelling exhibition “Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History” has reached the country and was opened yesterday at Katara Gallery 10.
Minister of Culture, H E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani graced the opening of the exhibit yesterday along with Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, and other officials.
The exhibition is from Palestinian Museum and is presented in collaboration with Qatar Museums. The event is also being held on the occasion of Qatar Creates, a year-long initiative for the promotion of local culture and arts as part of Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture.
Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History examines the symbols of traditional embroidered Palestinian dress (thobe) and explores tatreez embroidery through the lenses of gender, labour, commodification, and class. Additionally, it charts the evolution of tatreez from a lovingly crafted personal ritual to a national symbol and finally to a product found in shops around the world.
It highlights the historical significance of Palestinian embroidery and thobes prior to 1948 and examines the rich and dynamic changes Palestinian textiles have seen in the decades since. It is curated by Baha Jubeh.
Rachel Dedman originally curated the exhibit in Birzeit in 2018, it was titled “Labour of Love: New Approaches to Palestinian Embroidery” back then. In an interview with The Peninsula, she said “the main takeaway of the exhibition is the dual richness and resilience of Palestinian culture in the face of dispossession and erasure.”
“Clothing is such an intimate and universal thing; I built the exhibition around the idea that we can unfold political histories — histories of people, of women in particular — through the catalyst of embroidery. The dresses at the heart of the show are extraordinary objects, and the major themes of the exhibition — gender, labour, class and the love inherent in making — will I hope appeal to everyone, football fans included.”
Dedman who worked with the Palestinian Museum before and now with Victoria and Albert Museum in England said, “my excellent colleague Baha Jubeh has adapted the exhibition to the Qatar space.” Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History is among the four special exhibits under Lusail Museum slated to open in 2023. The exhibits will give viewers more information about the philosophy, scope, and perspective that will be present at the new museum.
It will run until January 28, 2023 and ticket can be purchased via Qatar Museums’ website. It opens from Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 7pm, and Friday, 1.30pm to 7pm. Also in line with the exhibit, there will be a discussion entitled “Managing Museums and Cultural Institutions under Occupations and in War Zones,” on October 14 at National Museum of Qatar Auditorium from 6.30pm. Interested individuals may register via visiting Qatar Museums’ official social media accounts.
