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צילום: אוליבייה פיטוסי

Photography: Olivier Fitoussi

Local Testimony 2020

Gallery

2020

  • Local Testimony 2020

    Dana Wohlfeiler-Lalkin, founder and director


    Local testimony is an annual photo-journalism and documentary photography exhibition, which was first showcased in 2003. The exhibition gives a platform that underscores the cultural qualities of local professional documentary photography and hence demonstrates its social significance. This form of photography expresses a complex aspect of the human experience, which is not fully exposed in the main media channels.


    Local Testimony is not only a photography exhibition; it is also a social, cultural and theoretical event, which points beyond the photographed images to the structures of power of Israeli politics. The exhibition wishes to strengthen a journalistic and documentary investigative action that is true to a freedom of expression, which can transcend interests of editing, rating or any other interest that serve crony capitalism.


    The images that make up Local Testimony 2020 reflect a society in crisis. A year that is crazy in so many aspects; this period seems to have become a local and global turning point, in the wake of which the world will never look the same. Photographs of social distancing, side by side with photographs of solidarity in a state of division, rage and loss of trust. 


    Perhaps Covid-19 pushed us to the edge, or perhaps it just helped expose a long-rooted ailment. It seems that we will long continue to feel the effects of this year’s story, as it is revealed through the photographs of Local Testimony 2020, which will become, I hope, symbols of a struggle for justice, fraternity and pride.


    This year’s exhibition is deeply important. This was a culturally arid year, and these photos immortalize one of the most historically significant periods for humanity.


    I would like to express my deep gratitude to Midtown, owned by Israel Canada, which have sponsored the Local Testimony project this year. Midtown have fashioned, especial for us, a unique and original outdoor museum, adapted to the complexity of our times, thereby making it possible for us to open our exhibition to the public. Thus, Midtown supports the tradition of this exhibition while also strengthening cultural life in these difficult times.


    I would like to thank the photographers, who exhibited exceptional bravery in exposing themselves to the virus in order to bring us images of this period, from the hospital units, demonstrations, protests and clashes with the security forces.


    I would like to thank the jury, who came together and worked tirelessly to try and make the impossible choice of selecting the pictures of the year from among the thousands of photographs sent to us by the dedicated photographers.

  • Beyond the Mask

    Eldad Rafaeli, Curator, Local Testimony 2020


    A crumpled mask, a glazed look, a heavy breath. 


    Photography, which is fashioned on the direct gaze, on peering into the windows of the soul, has encountered a barrier. 


    Beyond the mask the voice is muffled and unclear, the lump in the throat grows bigger, tears fill the eyes. The picture of reality becomes blurry, for the photographers as well as for their subjects. How do we focus the gaze? How do we find the accurate angle? How can we move through the lockdown?


    Many artists have attempted to offer us interpretations for this changing world. Furnished with a press card that made it possible for them to move freely, the photojournalists traveled across the infected land, exposed to the extreme and even bizarre change of the landscape we have grown accustomed to seeing. The loss of personal space, alongside social distancing and a cultural rift, blend into political intrigue, a raging plague and an immense economic crisis. And above the clear signs, there drifts a deceptive uncertainty, which disseminates infinite

    question marks, wreaking us with confusion.


    By the very virtue of its role as a historian of its time, Local Testimony 2020 finds itself fashioning a communal film of life in Israel in the shadow of the plague. The exhibition moves from a birds-eye-view of the events towards a focus on details. Drones watch from the outside over the empty cities, the erupting nature, and the demonstrations, while the photographers on ground document the corruption, animosity, home, and relationships.


    Social, economic and existential anxiety plagues so many people, among them many photographers and artists who have lost their source of income.


    Local Testimony holds each and every one of them the highest esteem, and hopes they keep the flame of creativity alive. The emphasis in this year’s works is the transition from focused journalistic photography of a single event, to an ongoing, complex personal photography. We hope that art continues to light the way for us and that photography will continue show us the picture, even beyond the mask.

  • Ilan Itzhayek, principal editor of Yedioth Ahronoth’s Xnet website
    Ayelet Hashahar Cohen, artist, curator and teacher. Head of the Photography Department of the Musrara School of Art and manager of the Musrara Gallery, Jerusalem
    Vardi Kahana, photographer, lecturer, curator and member of the Local Testimony editorial board
    Heidi Levine, photo-journalist
    Rami Maymon, artist, photographer and lecturer
    Doron Tsabari, director
    Eldad Rafaeli, photographer, artist and curator of the Local Testimony 2020 exhibition
    Etty Schwartz, photographer, curator and lecturer
    Ami Steinitz, curator and member of the Local Testimony editorial board


Photo of the year

​

Haaretz

Tomer Appelbaum

​

The Black Flag protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and governmental corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic; the demonstrators maintained a distance of two meters from one another.

Rabin Square, Tel Aviv

April 19, 2020

Series of the Year

​

​

Itzik Sonnenstein

​

Patient 185, COVID-19 routine, personal documentation.

April 19, 2020

Rabin Square, Tel Aviv

News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, surrounded by Likud ministers and Knesset members, before entering the courtroom for the opening of his trial.

1st prize

Single

News

Flash 90

Yonatan Sindel

​

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, surrounded by Likud ministers and Knesset members, before entering the courtroom for the opening of his trial.

The District Court, Jerusalem

May 24, 2020

​

A demonstrator facing security forces during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

2nd prize

Single

News

AP

Oded Balilty

​

A demonstrator facing security forces during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Paris Square, Jerusalem

July 18, 2020

​

Police arresting Kosta Black, one of the protest leaders, during a demonstration against the government's handling of the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

3rd prize

Single

News

Reuters

Ammar Awad

​

Police arresting Kosta Black, one of the protest leaders, during a demonstration against the government's handling of the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tel Aviv

July 11, 2020

​

Protests against governmental corruption, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

1st prize

Series

News

Flash 90

Yaniv Nadav

​

Protests against governmental corruption, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Paris Square, Balfour Street, Bezalel Street, Jerusalem

July 17 - August 8, 2020

​

Body tremors and a high pulse are two of the coronavirus symptoms. Documentation from the COVID-19 wards at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.

2nd prize

Series

News

​

Eli Attias

​

Body tremors and a high pulse are two of the coronavirus symptoms. Documentation from the COVID-19 wards at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.

Jerusalem

April 2 - 6, 2020

​

Thousands of male and female demonstrators, from diverse backgrounds and all sides of the political spectrum, protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence, calling for his resignation.

3rd prize

Series

News

DPA

Ilya Yefimovich

​

Thousands of male and female demonstrators, from diverse backgrounds and all sides of the political spectrum, protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence, calling for his resignation.

Central Jerusalem

July 2020

​

A demonstrator dressed as Moses during the dispersal of protesters using water jets fired from a police water cannon.

​

Single

News

Israel Hayom

Oren Ben Hakoon

​

A demonstrator dressed as Moses during the dispersal of protesters using water jets fired from a police water cannon.

Agron Street, Jerusalem

July 22, 2020

​

COVID-19 restrictions require members of the Burial Society (Chevra Kadisha) to wear special protective suits during the purification ritual before burial.

​

Single

News

Haaretz

Ohad Zwigenberg

​

COVID-19 restrictions require members of the Burial Society (Chevra Kadisha) to wear special protective suits during the purification ritual before burial.

Shamgar Funeral Home, Jerusalem

April 1, 2020

​

Israel Police dispersing demonstrators with a water cannon at the end of a Saturday night protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Paris Square.

​

Single

News

Flash 90

Olivier Fitoussi

​

Israel Police dispersing demonstrators with a water cannon at the end of a Saturday night protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Paris Square.

Jerusalem

July 26, 2020

​

Society and Community

חג המים בקיבוץ רמת יוחנן נערך על פי שניים ממייסדי הקיבוץ, המלחין מתתיהו שלם והכוריאוגראפית לאה ברגשטיין.

1st prize

Single

Society and community

​

Dancho Arnon

​

חג המים בקיבוץ רמת יוחנן נערך על פי שניים ממייסדי הקיבוץ, המלחין מתתיהו שלם והכוריאוגראפית לאה ברגשטיין.

Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan

October 13, 2019

​

Demonstrators taking cover from water jets fired from water cannons.

2nd prize

Single

Society and community

​

Miki (Michael) Schauder

​

Demonstrators taking cover from water jets fired from water cannons.

Agron Street, Jerusalem

July 24, 2020

​

Rana, mother of Iyad al-Hallaq, being interviewed in her home. Her son, a young Arab man on the autistic spectrum, was fatally shot by a Border Police officer.

3rd prize

Single

Society and community

​

Ohad Zwigenberg

​

Rana, mother of Iyad al-Hallaq, being interviewed in her home. Her son, a young Arab man on the autistic spectrum, was fatally shot by a Border Police officer.

East Jerusalem

May 30, 2020

​

In the wake of police brutality and excessive arrests (profiling) that resulted in fatalities, Israelis of Ethiopian descent fear going out in public. The photos show family members and protest activists near locations where community members were harmed.

1st prize

Series

Society and community

​

Esther Haliye

​

In the wake of police brutality and excessive arrests (profiling) that resulted in fatalities, Israelis of Ethiopian descent fear going out in public. The photos show family members and protest activists near locations where community members were harmed.

Kiryat Haim, Bat Yam, Holon, Binyamina Quarry

June - July 2020

​

Lockdown. Prohibited from leaving the house beyond a distance of one hundred meters. At-risk populations were advised not to go out at all or meet with family members. The days of isolation and anxiety of the first COVID-19 wave.

2nd prize

Series

Society and community

​

Avigail Uzi

Yedioth Ahronoth

Lockdown. Prohibited from leaving the house beyond a distance of one hundred meters. At-risk populations were advised not to go out at all or meet with family members. The days of isolation and anxiety of the first COVID-19 wave.

Throughout Israel

March 20 - 31, 2020

​

Seen and Unseen, Summer 2020. A portrait of social workers fighting for their employment conditions.

3rd prize

Series

Society and community

​

Yasmin Lahav

​

Seen and Unseen, Summer 2020. A portrait of social workers fighting for their employment conditions.

Kiryat Tiv'on, Ramat Yishai, Sde Ya'akov, Sha'ar HaAmakim

July - August 2020

​

Religion and Faith

השוחט של שכונת מאה שערים עם עלות השחר של ערב יום כיפור. מנהג הכפרות מעורר ביקורת רבה גם בקרב רבנים.

1st prize

Single

Religion and faith

​

Guy Aloni

​

The slaughterer of the Mea Shearim neighborhood at dawn on the eve of Yom Kippur. The Kapparot ritual arouses significant criticism, including among rabbis.

Jerusalem

October 8, 2019

​

גברים ונשים מארצות הברית, גרמניה, דנמרק ורומניה, שהוכשרו לעבוד כסנטה קלאוס, צפים בים המלח בעת ביקור בארץ הקודש.

2nd prize

Single

Religion and faith

AP

Ariel Schalit

​

Men and women from the United States, Germany, Denmark, and Romania, trained to work as Santa Claus, floating in the Dead Sea during a visit to the Holy Land.

The Dead Sea

January 7, 2020

​

חנוכת החלק הראשון של אתר הקבורה תת־קרקעי מנהרות עולם, שנועד לפתור את מצוקת שטחי הקבורה בירושלים. המנהרות יכילו כ־ 24 אלף קברים.

3rd prize

Single

Religion and faith

​

Doron Talmi

​

Inauguration of the first section of the subterranean burial site 'Tunnels of the World' (Minharot Olam), intended to solve the shortage of burial plots in Jerusalem. The tunnels will contain approximately 24,000 graves.

Har HaMenuchot (Mount of Rest), Jerusalem

October 30, 2019

​

מראות סוריאליסטיים ברחובות בני ברק בחג הפורים.

1st prize

Series

Religion and faith

​

Uri Levi

​

Surrealistic scenes on the streets of Bnei Brak during the Purim holiday.

Bnei Brak

March 10, 2020

​

מבנה בית החולים ביקור חולים נותר ריק ועזוב. כיום מושכר הבניין הנטוש לישיבת אורייתא, ישיבה חסידית לנערים בוגרים, המתגוררים במקום במגורים מאולתרים שהתאימו לצורכיהם.

2nd prize

Series

Religion and faith

​

Stav Tzur

​

The building of Bikur Cholim Hospital remains empty and abandoned. The deserted building is currently leased to Yeshivat Orayta, a Hasidic yeshiva for older boys, who reside there in makeshift accommodation adapted to their needs.

Jerusalem

November 2019 - April 2020

​

פעם בשנה מציינים הנזירים במנזר מר סבא, מנזר יווני אורתודוקסי, את מותו של מייסד המנזר, מר סבאס. הנזירים מדליקים מאות נרות לזכרו ומאירים את המדבר.

​

Single

Religion and faith

​

Haim Yafim Berblat

​

Once a year, the monks at the Mar Saba Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery, commemorate the death of the monastery's founder, Saint Sabas. The monks light hundreds of candles in his memory, illuminating the desert.

Judean Desert

December 17, 2019

​

בחג ההתגלות (אפיפניה) נוהרים אלפי צליינים אל אתר הטבילה המסורתי קאסר אל־יהוד בנהר הירדן, צפונית לים המלח, ועורכים טקסי הטבלה מסורתיים.

​

Single

Religion and faith

Haaretz

Ohad Zwigenberg

​

On Epiphany (The Feast of Theophany), thousands of pilgrims flock to the traditional baptism site Qasr al-Yahud on the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea, and perform traditional baptism ceremonies.

Qasr al-Yahud

January 18, 2020

​

עקב מגפת הקורונה, רק מעטים השתתפו השנה בעדלאידע.

​

Single

Religion and faith

Haaretz

Ohad Zwigenberg

​

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only a few participated in the Adloyada (Purim Parade) this year.

Hebron

March 10, 2020

​

מנהג הכפרות

​

Single

Religion and faith

EPA

Abir Sultan

​

The Kapparot Ritual

Beit Shemesh

October 6, 2019

​

עקב שריפה שפרצה בשכונת מאה שערים הורחקו ילדי חסידות תולדות אהרון מהמבנה שבו הם לומדים.

​

Single

Religion and faith

Kikar HaShabbat

Chaim Goldberg

​

Due to a fire that broke out in the Mea Shearim neighborhood, children of the Toldos Aharon Hasidic group were evacuated from their study building.

Jerusalem

November 5, 2019

​

ילדים מתבוננים מבעד לחלון בתקופת הסגר.

​

Single

Religion and faith

​

Liel Steinberg

​

Children looking through a window during the lockdown.

Bnei Brak

March 2020

​

Nature and Environment

A flock of sheep gathering during feeding time.

1st prize

Single

Nature and environment

​

Yoel Robert Assayag

​

A flock of sheep gathering during feeding time.

Near Kibbutz Ramot Menashe

July 25, 2020

​

The IDF reinforces its troops on the Syrian and Lebanese borders following Hezbollah's threat to avenge the death of an organization operative in an attack near Damascus attributed to Israel.

2nd prize

Single

Nature and environment

​

Gil Eliyahu Benyamin

​

The IDF reinforces its troops on the Syrian and Lebanese borders following Hezbollah's threat to avenge the death of an organization operative in an attack near Damascus attributed to Israel.

Northern Golan Heights

July 27, 2020

​

A cargo ship that drifted ashore on a stormy night.

3rd prize

Single

Nature and environment

​

Eric Sultan

​

A cargo ship that drifted ashore on a stormy night.

Mai Ami Beach, Ashdod

December 27, 2019

​

In 2004, the Electrochemical Industries plant closed due to a fire. The structure remains abandoned to this day. The plant used hazardous materials, such as mercury, which led to severe illnesses among workers. Legal battles are still ongoing regarding soil contamination, sea pollution, and responsibility for cleaning up the complex.

1st prize

Series

Nature and environment

​

Lior Fattal

​

In 2004, the Electrochemical Industries plant closed due to a fire. The structure remains abandoned to this day. The plant used hazardous materials, such as mercury, which led to severe illnesses among workers. Legal battles are still ongoing regarding soil contamination, sea pollution, and responsibility for cleaning up the complex.

South of Acre

January 27, 2020

​

During the initial weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, Yarkon Park emptied of visitors. Consequently, hungry jackals began gathering in large groups. Lacking the food scraps typically left behind by park visitors, the jackals were forced to eat the fruits of the Ficus trees and attempted to hunt pigeons.

2nd prize

Series

Nature and environment

Haaretz

Ofer Vaknin

​

During the initial weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, Yarkon Park emptied of visitors. Consequently, hungry jackals began gathering in large groups. Lacking the food scraps typically left behind by park visitors, the jackals were forced to eat the fruits of the Ficus trees and attempted to hunt pigeons.

Tel Aviv

March - April 2020

​

The field near the house, the only place we went during the first COVID-19 lockdown, became an entire world in my son Biny's imagination.

3rd prize

Series

Nature and environment

​

Alexander Bronfer

​

The field near the house, the only place we went during the first COVID-19 lockdown, became an entire world in my son Biny's imagination.

Kfar Saba Fields

March - June 2020

​

Wild boars no longer content themselves with their natural habitats, and now forage for food in the city streets and home gardens.

​

Single

Nature and environment

Haaretz

Ohad Zwigenberg

​

Wild boars no longer content themselves with their natural habitats, and now forage for food in the city streets and home gardens.

Haifa

April 11, 2020

​

A migrant worker from Sudan taking a mud bath at Ein Bokek Beach.

​

Single

Nature and environment

​

Alexander Bronfer

​

A migrant worker from Sudan taking a mud bath at Ein Bokek Beach.

The Dead Sea

July 10, 2020

​

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the snapdragon plants finished blooming. Small “skulls” of seed pods swayed in the wind, reflecting the fear sown among the public.

​

Single

Nature and environment

​

Ricky Loisman

​

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the snapdragon plants finished blooming. Small “skulls” of seed pods swayed in the wind, reflecting the fear sown among the public.

Ra'anana

August 5, 2020

​

The "Deal of the Century," a peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and published in January 2020, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the settlements and pushed the Right to immediately annex the Jordan Valley. In exchange for the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates, published in August, Israel postponed the annexation plan.

​

Series

Nature and environment

Flash 90

Yaniv Nadav

​

The "Deal of the Century," a peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and published in January 2020, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the settlements and pushed the Right to immediately annex the Jordan Valley. In exchange for the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates, published in August, Israel postponed the annexation plan.

The Jordan Valley

2017 - 2020

​

Remnants of battlefields stretch across a beautiful and fascinating region.

​

Series

Nature and environment

​

Eli Attias

​

Remnants of battlefields stretch across a beautiful and fascinating region.

The Golan Heights

November 2019

​

Sport

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, public entry to sports fields was prohibited, so fans came to offer support from the outside. Hapoel Tel Aviv fans on the fences of the Khodorov Complex (Hapoel Tel Aviv's training grounds), watching a practice match against Hapoel Ashkelon.

1st prize

Single

sport

​

Yuval Daniel

​

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, public entry to sports fields was prohibited, so fans came to offer support from the outside. Hapoel Tel Aviv fans on the fences of the Khodorov Complex (Hapoel Tel Aviv's training grounds), watching a practice match against Hapoel Ashkelon.

Tel Aviv

May 19, 2020

​

Tomi Livnon climbing the 'Climb Free' route, currently the highest-rated climbing route in Israel (9a).

2nd prize

Single

sport

​

Daniel Roleider

​

Tomi Livnon climbing the 'Climb Free' route, currently the highest-rated climbing route in Israel (9a).

Nezer Cave, near the Lebanese border

June 27, 2020

​

Dmitry Kroyter, the Israeli high jumper, at the Israeli Athletics Championships.

3rd prize

Single

sport

​

Omri Gutman

​

Dmitry Kroyter, the Israeli high jumper, at the Israeli Athletics Championships.

Hadart Yosef Athletics Stadium, Tel Aviv

July 28, 2020

​

Athletes from the Olympic and Paralympic delegations who were preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

1st prize

Series

sport

​

Bartzi Goldblat

​

Athletes from the Olympic and Paralympic delegations who were preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout Israel

April - May 2020

​

Youth from Jisr az-Zarqa, members of a social surfing club, going out for a surf session.

2nd prize

Series

sport

​

Uri Levi

​

Youth from Jisr az-Zarqa, members of a social surfing club, going out for a surf session.

Jisr az-Zarqa Beach

June - July 2020

​

Athletes without limits despite disabilities.

3rd prize

Series

sport

​

Tal Heres

​

Athletes without limits despite disabilities.

Throughout Israel

May 31 - July 4, 2020

​

Workers from India playing cricket in a parking lot on Saturday.

​

Single

sport

Local Call

Oren Ziv

​

Workers from India playing cricket in a parking lot on Saturday.

South Tel Aviv

May 16, 2020

​

A surfer at sunset.

​

Single

sport

​

Omri Gutman

​

A surfer at sunset.

Disabled Beach, Herzliya

May 6, 2020

​

The basketball courts at the Sportek.

​

Single

sport

​

Gilad Topaz

​

The basketball courts at the Sportek.

Tel Aviv

May 24, 2020

​

Urbanism and Culture

צעיר, כלב ומתעמלת בגן צ’רלס קלור.

1st prize

Single

Urbanism and culture

​

Ilan Ben Yehuda

​

A young man, a dog, and a gymnast in Charles Clore Park.

Tel-Aviv

June 29, 2020

​

בעקבות הגבלות הקורונה וסגירת הברים הגיעו צעירים רבים לכיכר דיזנגוף, כשהם מצוידים בשתייה מהבית. המצב המיוחד יצר תרבות חדשה, שהמשיכה לאחר פתיחת הברים מחדש.

2nd prize

Single

Urbanism and culture

Getty Images

Guy Prives

​

Following the COVID-19 restrictions and the closure of bars, many young people arrived at Dizengoff Square equipped with drinks from home. This unique situation created a new culture, which continued even after the bars reopened.

Tel Aviv

May 18, 2020

​

אביגיל קובארי, זמרת ושחקנית, המשתתפת בתפקיד ראשי בסדרת הטלוויזיה מתיר עגונות.

3rd prize

Single

Urbanism and culture

​

Avishag Shaar-Yashuv

Haaretz

Avigail Kovari, singer and actress, starring in the television series Matir Agunot (The Unchained).

Arsuf Cliffs

October 20, 2019

​

החוויה האנושית. 
בסדרה זו הופשטו המצולמים מסימני ההיכר שלהם ונוצקו מחדש אל תוך מצבים המשקפים חוויית קיום חמקמקה, מנוכרת ומפתיעה, הנעה בין זהות, בדידות, ניכור, משמעות ובלבול.

1st prize

Series

Urbanism and culture

​

Lior Horesh

​

The Human Experience.
In this series, the subjects were stripped of their distinguishing features and recast into situations that reflect an elusive, alienated, and surprising experience of existence, moving between identity, loneliness, alienation, meaning, and confusion.

Throughout Israel

2018 - 2020

​

קרקע פעורה. בסיס חיל הים וחניון אגד בעין גדי פונו עקב היווצרות בולענים.

2nd prize

Series

Urbanism and culture

​

Eli Attias

​

Ground Opening Up. The Navy base and Egged bus parking lot in Ein Gedi were evacuated due to the formation of sinkholes.

The Dead Sea

January 2020 and August 2020

​

לקראת חג הפסח נעצרה תל אביב, ה”עיר ללא הפסקה”, עקב הכניסה לסגר.

3rd prize

Series

Urbanism and culture

​

Guy Yahalomi

​

In preparation for Passover, Tel Aviv, the "Non-Stop City," came to a halt following the imposition of a lockdown.

Tel Aviv

April 2020

​

גבריאל מוקד, סופר, מבקר ועורך ספרות, מעלה זיכרונות בביתו, על ידידו נתן אלתרמן, במלואת 50 שנה לפטירתו.

​

Single

Urbanism and culture

​

Eric Sultan

For Makor Rishon

Gabriel Moked, writer, critic, and literary editor, reminiscing at his home about his friend Nathan Alterman, on the 50th anniversary of Alterman's passing.

Tel Aviv

February 23, 2020

​

מסורת, אופנה וגיבורה של דיסני.

​

Single

Urbanism and culture

​

Ilan Ben Yehuda

​

Tradition, fashion, and a Disney heroine.

Tel Aviv Port

October 20, 2019

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פני העיר המתחדשת. יריעות ענק מכסות בניין בשיפוצים.

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Single

Urbanism and culture

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Eli Bazri

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The face of the renewing city. Giant sheets cover a building under renovation.

Herzl Street, Tel Aviv

June 22, 2020

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אמנית רחוב בנהריה, לאחר שיטפון בנחל הגעתון. בשנת 2020 פקדו את ישראל שיטפונות, ונהריה נפגעה וסבלה מהרס רב.

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Single

Culture and art

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Kadya Levy

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A street artist in Nahariya, following a flood of the Ga'aton River. In 2020, Israel was hit by floods, and Nahariya was severely affected and suffered extensive destruction.

Nahariya

January 23, 2020

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סיור קניות בשוק הכרמל בתום ימי הסגר.

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Single

Urbanism and culture

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Ilan Ben Yehuda

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A shopping tour in the Carmel Market at the end of the lockdown period.

Tel Aviv

May 13, 2020

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סיפורים אישיים בקעקועים.

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Single

Urbanism and culture

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Shimi Cohen

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Personal stories in tattoos.

The International Tattoo Convention, Expo Tel Aviv

November 15, 2019

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Long Exposure

The Western Border Fence. 
The western border fence with Egypt was erected in 2011 to stop the wave of migration from Africa into Israel. Following the attack on Route 12, which occurred that same year, the fence was extended to the Eilat Mountains. The fence brought about a dramatic security, civilian, and environmental change, transforming from an open area, through which the last refugees entered, into a landscape scarred by a dense, six-meter-high iron fence and concertina wire.

1st prize

Series

Long exposure

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Doron Nissim

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The Western Border Fence.
The western border fence with Egypt was erected in 2011 to stop the wave of migration from Africa into Israel. Following the attack on Route 12, which occurred that same year, the fence was extended to the Eilat Mountains. The fence brought about a dramatic security, civilian, and environmental change, transforming from an open area, through which the last refugees entered, into a landscape scarred by a dense, six-meter-high iron fence and concertina wire.

Israel-Egypt border, between Eilat and Mount Sagav

February 2012 - April 2020

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And Ten Years Later. 
After ten years, I returned to photograph at the Holocaust Survivors' Hostel, located within the Sha'ar Menashe Psychiatric Hospital. Marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz then, to mark the 75th anniversary now.

2nd prize

Series

Long exposure

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Gili Yaari

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And Ten Years Later.
After ten years, I returned to photograph at the Holocaust Survivors' Hostel, located within the Sha'ar Menashe Psychiatric Hospital. Marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz then, to mark the 75th anniversary now.

Sha'ar Menashe Psychiatric Hospital

2020 - 2010

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Maybe It’s a Sign. 
During the first COVID-19 lockdown, businesses froze their outdoor advertising; the public space became filled with black rectangles.

3rd prize

Series

Long exposure

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Daniel Tchetchik

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Maybe It’s a Sign.
During the first COVID-19 lockdown, businesses froze their outdoor advertising; the public space became filled with black rectangles.

Gush Dan (Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area)

March - April 2020

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Training Ground. 
Explosions are heard and dust clouds rise from the army's training fields. The area, like a movie set, is littered with blown-up buildings, ripped aircraft, and destroyed cars. Ruin and destruction; a prelude to the worst of all.

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Series

Long exposure

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Dani Hadas

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Training Ground.
Explosions are heard and dust clouds rise from the army's training fields. The area, like a movie set, is littered with blown-up buildings, ripped aircraft, and destroyed cars. Ruin and destruction; a prelude to the worst of all.

The Southern Negev

2012 - 2020

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Zooming. 
In a world of pandemic, lockdown, travel restrictions, and isolation, the transition to the screen was rapid. Zoom calls replaced personal meetings; photography became a realistic environment, an essential tool for coping with changes and surviving under conditions of social distancing.

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Series

Long exposure

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Vered Sadot

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Zooming.
In a world of pandemic, lockdown, travel restrictions, and isolation, the transition to the screen was rapid. Zoom calls replaced personal meetings; photography became a realistic environment, an essential tool for coping with changes and surviving under conditions of social distancing.

Jerusalem, London, Italy

March - May 2020

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Until Death Do Us Part.
Wedding photographs are expected to represent a sweet fantasy that does not necessarily correspond to reality. The camera is perceived as an objective tool that tells the truth, but in this work, the flash reveals only parts of reality, leaving the rest in the darkness of the viewer's imagination. In this space, between reality and imagination, the stories that observers tell themselves unfold.

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Series

Long exposure

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Mor Elnakaveh

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Until Death Do Us Part.
Wedding photographs are expected to represent a sweet fantasy that does not necessarily correspond to reality. The camera is perceived as an objective tool that tells the truth, but in this work, the flash reveals only parts of reality, leaving the rest in the darkness of the viewer's imagination. In this space, between reality and imagination, the stories that observers tell themselves unfold.

Throughout Israel

2011 - 2020

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Susan Greene, a Jewish American activist artist, and children from Silwan painted goldfinches, symbolizing freedom, and giant eyes on the walls. The eyes look toward the west of the city, demanding: "We are here, see us." Most of the painted eyes belong to social activists looking from the neighborhood toward Jerusalem and the adjacent City of David. The paintings provided employment for the children, added color and life to the neglected neighborhood, and drew attention to the process of home evictions and Jewish settlement in the area, led by the Ateret Cohanim organization in the Arab neighborhood.

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Series

Long exposure

Contact Press Image

Kobi Wolf

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Susan Greene, a Jewish American activist artist, and children from Silwan painted goldfinches, symbolizing freedom, and giant eyes on the walls. The eyes look toward the west of the city, demanding: "We are here, see us." Most of the painted eyes belong to social activists looking from the neighborhood toward Jerusalem and the adjacent City of David. The paintings provided employment for the children, added color and life to the neglected neighborhood, and drew attention to the process of home evictions and Jewish settlement in the area, led by the Ateret Cohanim organization in the Arab neighborhood.

Silwan Neighborhood, Wadi Hilweh, East Jerusalem

2019 - 2020

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Video


Asaf Shafir

You cannot stop a revolution whose time has come.
In July 2020, Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Haskel was arrested outside the Prime Minister’s residence on Balfour Street. His arrest was widely perceived as political and anti-democratic, intended to suppress the protests. The arrest ignited the "Balfour Protests" and spurred young people to action, demanding a revolution. Balfour became a pilgrimage site for all protest groups demanding the Prime Minister's resignation due to the serious indictments against him, his failure to handle the coronavirus pandemic, and his rhetoric against government institutions, the court, the police, and the prosecution.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

July - August 2020

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Ben Shani and Uriel Sinai

4 Minutes. Mom and Dad.
Director Ben Shani visits his parents, Miriam and Ze'ev Shani, moments before they are left alone for the Seder night, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown. He returned from the visit with things that are only said on such a Passover Eve, and also with some food for the holiday.

Tel Aviv

April 5, 2020

Directed by: Ben Shani

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Ronit Ziv

Like a Chicken.
On the eve of Independence Day, a terrible murder occurred; and when they said 'woman' on television, I called to ask her name. Mastawal Alaza, was the answer. The event led to a volunteer project in which 40 dancers joined me in protest. A woman shall not be slaughtered like a chicken. When we die, we have no face; when we live, we have no protection.

Filmed at the Dancers' Home

May 2020

Artistic Direction, Production, and Editing: Ronit Ziv

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Sarina Rozner

Land.
A short personal documentary attempting to grapple with the director's identity as a settler. The film raises questions about free will versus the choices of parents and home education, queries concerning belonging and identity, and examines the essence and purpose of life in the geographical and mental space into which she was born.

Ma'ale Mikhmas and Binyamin, Judea and Samaria

March - July 2020

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Ohad Milstein

Paradise, 2020.
What goes through a child's mind? How does he see the world? During the summer, before starting first grade, Ohad Milstein held whispered conversations with his son, Alva, between wakefulness and sleep. A journey into the contemplations of an innocent child, before the body falls asleep.

Vals, Switzerland; Lower Galilee, Israel

2019

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Itai Raziel and Nir Weiss

Creating in Another Reality (Yotzrim B'Metziut Acheret).
Immediately upon the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, I began documenting this unique period. The lockdown and movement restrictions (to only one hundred meters) made it difficult for me to create comprehensive documentation. I turned to documentary photographers and asked them to also document their immediate surroundings, in an attempt to present a broad picture of the impact of the coronavirus on them, their families, and the public sphere.

Israel

March 2020

In partnership with: Nir Weiss (Direction and Editing)

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Itai Raziel and Jeremy Portnoy

The Bastille Day Protest at Balfour.
The first large-scale protest of the year, held on Balfour Street in front of the Prime Minister's residence, was scheduled for the historic date of July 14th – Bastille Day in France. The use of the song Ein Li Eretz Acheret (I Have No Other Country), combined with the sounds of the revolution song from the Place de la Bastille in 1790, created the intended parallel.

In front of the Prime Minister’s Residence, Jerusalem

July 14, 2020

In partnership with: Jeremy Portnoy (Direction, Photography, and Editing)

Song: Ein Li Eretz Acheret (I Have No Other Country)
Lyrics: Ehud Manor z"l
Performed and Composed by: Corinne Allal
Courtesy of NMC United Entertainment Ltd.
La Prise de la Bastille (Chant révolutionnaire française 1790)

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Chen Leopold

You Will Not Silence Me.
Demonstrators confront the harsh rhetoric directed against them. Despite the tens of thousands of protesters, the criminally indicted Prime Minister, his spokespeople, ministers, and associates are attempting to tendentiously diminish the scale of the protest. They do this across all media channels and from the Knesset podium by labeling the protest as left-wing, turning the right to protest into anarchy, disrespecting and mocking the demonstrators, and falsely accusing them of violence.

Paris Square, Balfour Street, and King George Street, Jerusalem

July - August 2020

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