Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art – Creativity in the Old City

Old City art hub fostering Palestinian creativity and international dialogue

Overview

The Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art is a pioneering cultural institution in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City. Founded in 1998 and housed in a restored 19th-century former tile factory near the New Gate, Al-Ma’mal serves as both a gallery and a hub for artistic exchange. It provides a platform for Palestinian and international artists to present innovative works in painting, photography, multimedia, and installation art.

Its location in the Old City underscores its mission: to bring new creative energy into one of the world’s oldest and most contested spaces.

Cultural and Community Role

Al-Ma’mal is more than an art gallery — it is a space of resilience, dialogue, and cultural production in a city where Palestinian voices often face marginalization. The foundation organizes artist residencies, exhibitions, and public programs that connect Jerusalem to regional and global art networks.

By highlighting themes of identity, memory, and urban life, Al-Ma’mal helps preserve Jerusalem’s role as a cultural capital while nurturing contemporary artistic expression. Its adaptive reuse of an industrial heritage building also reflects the blending of past and present, making it a cultural landmark in its own right.

What to Experience

Explore changing exhibitions by Palestinian and international contemporary artists.

Attend public talks, screenings, and workshops hosted in the Old City.

Visit the artist-in-residence program, where creators develop projects in dialogue with Jerusalem.

Experience the atmosphere of a historic tile factory turned art space.


Visitor Information

Location: Near New Gate, Old City of Jerusalem
Hours: Tue–Sat 11:00–18:00 (closed Sun–Mon)
Contact: +972-2-627-2312 | info@almamalfoundation.org
Entry: Free (donations encouraged)
Note: Exhibitions rotate frequently — check the calendar for current
programming