An Israeli photographer and a Palestinian photographer are equipped with a smartphone on both sides of the charged fence of the Gaza Strip.
872 meters separate Batia Holin's house from Kibbutz Kfar Gaza to the border fence, and another 960 meters from there to the door of Mahmoud's (pseudonym) house from the Gaza Strip: supposedly neighbors, but they never met.
These are two people who love to take pictures and use their smartphone to describe a life story, in a shared space on both sides of the charged fence that surrounds Gaza.
In the series of photographs that will be shown in the exhibition "Between" at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Batia Hollin shares with the visitors her daily march on the security road that surrounds Kfar Gaza and kisses the fence.
A road that invites her to views, images and thought-provoking encounters.
"Every day I get up into the unknown. What will the sky look like? Who will I meet? Will the walk be quiet or noisy?" explains Holin, who photographs the routine moments of life in a place where every morning you wake up to an unusual reality that cannot be predicted in advance.
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Kfar Gaza (Photo: Surfers' Photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza Beach (Photo: Surfer Photos, Mahmoud)
A beach in the Gaza Strip (photo: surfers' photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza Beach (Photo: Surfer Photos, Mahmoud)
"to present the absurdity of life from both sides"
Holin's photos, a member of Kibbutz Kfar Gaza for 45 years, an educator who has been involved for years in the promotion and development of settlements in the Negev and the Galilee and in projects for the benefit of the community, have been famous for a long time on her Facebook page and have gained a large following.
When she collected the materials for the exhibition, she invited photographers from Gaza to present their corresponding "morning walk".
The one who bravely accepted the invitation is Mahmoud (*pseudonym, with the intention of maintaining his personal safety in the environment in which he lives), a young man in his 20s who lives in the Gaza Strip and captures images from the everyday reality that exists on the other side of the fence.
"When the idea of producing a photo exhibition began to take shape, I decided to produce an exhibition with significant added value, through which I could present the absurdity of life from both sides," Holin says.
"The inclusion of photographers from Gaza turned out to be a very sensitive and complex matter, when several photographers who sent photos were reluctant due to real fear for their safety."
In the end, Mahmoud remained, who sent inspiring pictures.
"Mahmoud's photos commemorate ordinary moments, and unlike common media images and images of the Gaza Strip, they do not specifically focus on suffering, poverty or hardship - simply people's lives," Holin says.
"Despite the fact that he will not be able to take a physical part in the exhibition, his works will speak for themselves, for him. Mahmoud dreams of starting a family and living a normative life as his peers live in other places. According to him, participating in the exhibition allows him to feel the freedom that he lacks."
A beach in the Gaza Strip (photo: surfers' photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza Beach (Photo: Surfer Photos, Mahmoud)
Sunset over Gaza (Photo: Golish photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza (photo: Golish photos, Mahmoud)
Between the pictures, the fence gets mixed up
With the help of their smartphone devices, Batia and Mahmoud bring the visitors together with landscapes, scenes from everyday life and questions that accompany life on both sides of the fence in Otef.
The exhibition includes photographs taken from both sides throughout the hours of the day, and the fence is interspersed between the photographs.
The two photographers express the connection and love for the scenic and human environment in which they live and the hope to wake up tomorrow to a day of sanity.
Along with the photographs, poems written from the experience of life in Otef by Dr. Salait Lazar, an agronomist and poet who lives next door to Labetia and Mahmud in Kibbutz Sa'ad, will also be presented as part of the exhibition.
The exhibition, curated by Moshe Ash, will be presented at the Oz Visitor Center in the Negev in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, as part of the "Southern Adom" events. " which are coordinated by the Gospel Directorate. The powerful and optimistic photographs are suitable for the whole family.
As part of the exhibition activity, which is held with the support of the Gershoni Foundation, M.A.
The Negev Gate, Kibbutz Kfar Gaza and "Women Making Peace" will hold a number of unique concept activities, including a poetry reading with the participation of Dr. Salait Lazar, a photo walk and a gallery talk. In the future, the intention is to make the unique exhibition "traveling" and make it accessible to additional audiences in the layout Nationwide.
The launch of the exhibition:
February 3, 2023, and it will be on display until the middle of March.
Hours of operation:
every day of the week between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
For more details and to schedule a visit:
Batia Holin 054-8160343.
Kfar Gaza (Photo: Surfers' Photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza (photo: Golish photos, Mahmoud)
Hay in Kfar Gaza (photo: Surfers' photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza (photo: Golish photos, Mahmoud)
Kfar Gaza (Photo: Surfers' Photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza (photo: Golish photos, Mahmoud)
Kfar Gaza (Photo: Surfers' Photos, Batia Holin)
Gaza (photo: Golish photos, Mahmoud)
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