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I head to Israel and am in awe of the beauty and
wonder of Jerusalem. I was there as part of the Culture for Co-Existence
group alongside Jack Kirkland, Loraine Da Costa and many others to visit sites
and places in the country
Our first stop was the Israel Museum. Curator Mira Lapidot ushered us towards the wonderful photography of Ron Amir. For the last three years he has filmed and photographed the thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum-seekers in Israel’s Holot Detention Facility. The work felt poignant, giving an insight into a place that is largely hidden from the public and adding a perspective on a difficult life many asylum-seekers face
As I left the photographs I looked back and saw the most wonderful Olafur Eliasson installation framed by the architecture
We were invited to the Ticho House and got a chance to see Roey Heifetz’s exhibition ‘Victoria’
The work was powerful and foreboding
The next day we visited The Museum for Islamic Art where Director, Nadim Sheiban showed us Dor Guez’s work. We also saw the most incredible watch collection including this creation made especially for Marie Antoinette
Then on to the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design where we were introduced to the students and tutors. Hosted by Professor Adi Stern we had the most wonderful conversations with the Israeli and Palestinian students. They showed us this amazing new language designed by a student and made up of a mixture of Arabic and Hebrew
We then headed to Ramallah to visit the Cultural Center founded by Khalil Sakakini, a non-profit which is dedicated to the promotion of arts and culture in Palestine. There are a number of check points along the way with long and intense security checks and it’s especially difficult for Palestinians. It was an inspiring visit and we met so many wonderful people, you could see the amazing potential that could be achieved if only there was more support. Jack Kirkland, Paul Hobson from Modern Art Oxford and Simon Groom from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art admiring the landscape of the area
Cliff Lawson from Hayward Gallery taking every opportunity to capture the beauty of the Middle East spring
Maria Balshaw, future Tate Director doing some Ramallah shopping with the locals. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone, they were such a vital and interesting group of friends to be with. But I also felt so invigorated and personally learnt so much more about the important cultural progressions and difficulties of the area. Culture can really break down barriers and bring people together
