Natural Conflict: Video and Photography from Israel /

Natural Conflict
Video and Photography from Israel

August 27, 2010 - December 5, 2010

Natural Conflict showcases work by seven established Israeli artists who explore issues that have been ongoing in Israeli society for years. Through the media of video and photography, the artists Shelly Federman, Avi Holtzman, Elyasaf Kowner, Ori Gersht, Roi Kuper, Shai Kremer, and Sharon Glazberg reveal the way that Israeli military presence, booming real estate development, and other environmental issues have both physically and metaphorically impacted the Israeli landscape.

While environmental conflicts such as these are universal and enduring, in Israel the relative impact is greater due to its diminutive size and limited open space. Although environmental awareness exists, clear policies for protecting natural resources have evolved slowly and are sometimes challenged by powerful private interests and the needs of the military. This exhibition endeavors to survey the varied visual and environmental realities in Israel through the eyes of the seven artists. Comprised of loaded symbols of the Israeli landscape and culture, common sights, and hidden or unfamiliar places, the works grapple with the real, potential, and endangered beauty of the Israeli landscape with a blend of criticism and subtle sorrow.

This exhibition is guest curated by Yaara Shachnai-Litwin