حوار
and parental guidance. After repeated visits, a safe environment in such a museum might become hugely popular with parents, who might drop their children off for a period and return to pick them up giving both an opportunity to escape the prison of the nuclear family. Similarly, museums for older children might also include educational and interactive exhibits across all areas of human knowledge. Children might be allowed to wander, select, test, return to their first focus, and generally feel free to forage. My feeling remains that well-qualified staff should be plentiful to aid children, intervene when necessary, and balance guidance with self-directed learning. Museums for older children might offer programs in theatre, music, the visual arts, and the sciences. There might be weekday programs for schoolteachers to bring their classes, or Saturday programs for parents to bring children and participate.
Museums often ask children to be quiet and careful. What would change if they treated them as makers, critics, and collaborators?
I would admire an attitude that allows museums to treat children as makers, critics, and collaborators. This approach might also be applied to museums of all types, created for the general population. Community groups should be welcome to participate as critics and collaborators. In my experience, community groups are generally frozen out of the curatorial process. For real participation to take place, and for a museum to genuinely serve its entire community, curating should be flexible enough to allow interest groups to create and share exhibitions. The excellence of a curatorial staff should not be so threatened that they would not allow local interest groups to curate a show of their own choosing.
WHAT A LIFETIME OF PAINTINGS ALONE COULDN’ T ACHIEVE
You recently established the Samia A. Halaby Foundation. What did you want it to accomplish that a lifetime of paintings alone couldn’ t? I decided to create the Foundation so that my art would be enjoyed and seen in the future and that I would be remembered as a Palestinian artist working in the international art scene.
If a young Palestinian woman artist doubted the art world would make space for her, what would you tell her?
I would tell a young artist,“ Think for yourself and trust your intuitions.”
How do you define sumud— steadfastness— in the Foundation’ s work, and how does it differ from the institutional language of resilience?
Sumud is the stubborn determination to withstand demonization and persecution, and to remain true to self and community— to hold onto our modes of gracious social behavior and cultural connection on the land of Palestine. Sumud, in all its manifestations, asserts dignity, and defines the oppressors not only as criminals but also as lacking both dignity and grace.“ Sumud asserts dignity, and defines the oppressors not only as criminals but also as lacking both dignity and grace.”
USE IT OR LOSE IT
Looking back on everything— the recognition, the cancellations— what does resilience mean to you now?
Being resilient proves the adage: use it or lose it. I use it and keep working as hard as my age allows. Self-confidence and taking responsibility for one’ s own failures are also important.
Questions have been edited for length. Samia Halaby’ s answers appear as given. Matahef thanks Ms. Halaby for her time and candor.
Dancing Wind, 2025, acrylic on canvas, 227 × 486 cm Courtesy of the artist and Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut / Hamburg
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