Tel Aviv Art Museum protects its works from rocket fire

Israel shelters its works of art. Since the start of the war on October 7, the country’s museums have closed their doors and stored the most precious treasures in a safe place. The Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem, in particular, have been removed from display cases.

At the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, many paintings have been removed from the walls. In the basement, Nathalie Andrijasevic opens a very thick round metal door, like an old bank vault. Inside, under a pale light, the museum’s assistant curator reveals dozens of paintings hanging on racks.

“I come here every day, and it’s always exciting to see all these works hereshe says, but I’m not used to seeing our Klimt there, which is one of the main pieces of the museum.” THE Portrait of Friederike Maria Beera 1916 treasure by the famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, now sits alongside works by Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe and Mark Rothko.

“I can’t wait to get them back upstairs because it’s not their place here.”

Nathalie Andrijasevic

at franceinfo

Hundreds of works of art sheltered in a few days

From October 8, the museum followed war protocol, a first in 32 years. Hundreds of works of art sheltered in just a few days. In the modern art gallery on the ground floor, the paintings have given way to white walls. “A few artworks are still on the wall and a few sculptures are covered in fabric and plasticspecifies the assistant curator, but the principal works which are usually here are no longer here.”

Nathalie Andrijasevic then raises her head: “The reason the artwork is placed downstairs is because the ceiling is not rocket-proof. Above me, it’s glass. If a rocket hits the roof, it will shatter may fall and damage the works. Elsewhere, tables have been placed on the ground as a safety measure in the event of a shock. The museum also repatriated works to France, sculptures by Giacometti, loaned for a temporary exhibition. It was scheduled until October 7, the day of the Hamas attack.