Challenging Walls

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Sixty meters of the Separation Wall at Abu Dis to turn into two-way screen

International project, Challenging Walls, to arrive in Israel/Palestine for the first time as part of the Jerusalem Film Festival On July 11-12, the separation wall will become a screen for eight giant multimedia presentations projected on both sides of the separation wall at Abu Dis. The art installations will be presented by renowned artists from Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, Israel and Palestine who personally experienced life next to separation walls

Sixty meters of the separation wall at Abu Dis will turn into a screen on which eight displays of still photographs will be projected simultaneously on both sides of the wall. The 20-minute display of 640 life-size photographs will portray the daily lives of people on opposite sides of the walls in four countries with histories of walls. In the end, the two sides— Palestinian and Israeli, Jew and Arab, the occupier and the occupied—will be indistinguishable.

The international project “Challenging Walls -- Life beyond the Walls,” is a unique artistic project conceived in Germany and belongs to Walkscreen, including artists from Germany, Cyprus, North Ireland, Israel and Palestine.

The project was initiated by Israeli artist Ruthe Zuntz, German artist Michael Reitz and Israeli architect Anat Moshe, whose vision is to bring Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the physical and mental wall into a real dialogue.

Israelis and Palestinians will watch the presentation at the same time on their respective sides of the wall. Al Quds University will be brining hundreds of Palestinians from near by communities to the area to watch the presentation at Abu Dis. According to Ruthe Zuntz, “the goal of the project is to draw attention to the lives of the people on either side of the wall.

If we succeed in removing the mental

walls between the two sides, we will be able to overcome the fear and despair that separate the two peoples, as well as the physical wall itself.”

The photographers participating in this unique initiative are Sibylle Bergmann (Germany), Christopher Heaney (Ireland), Nicolas Iordanou (Cyprus), Kadir Kaba (Cyprus), Frankie Quinn (Northern Ireland), Michael Reitz (Germany), Steve Sabella (Palestine), and Ruthe Zuntz (Israel).

The exhibition in Israel serves as the grand international launch of Challenging Walls, which is expected to come to Berlin, Germany in 2008.

This project is funded by the European Commission’s EU Culture 2000 and in cooperation with the following institutions: European Cultural Foundation, German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations Zivik Project, INDEX (Cyprus), University of Ulster (Northern Ireland), Akademie der Kuenste (Germany), Van Leer Jerusalem

Institute, Jerusalem Film Festival (Israel), Jerusalem Cinematheque, Al Quds University (Palestine), Shenkar College (Israel), Jerusalem Foundation (Israel), German Embassy in Israel, Goethe-Institut Jerusalem and Goethe-Zentrum Nicosia.

On Wednesday, July 11, 16:30-21:00, a conference on “Walls, separation and cultural representation” will be held at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. The work of four teams (comprised of photographers, researchers, curators and cultural directors), who collaborated together to share the realities and the hope of people who live their daily lives in divided places, will be presented at the conference.

Kunstprojekt der Berliner Kuenstler Ruth Zuntz und Michael Reitz macht die Mauer in Israel durchlaessig

erlin, Jerusalem. In den Naechten vom 11. und 12. Juli 2007 wird in Jerusalem ein einzigartiges Happening stattfinden.

Das israelische Militaer gestattet erstmalig mitten im Hochsicherheitsgebiet, direkt an der 9 Meter hohen Trennmauer eine politisch brisante Kunstaktion. Unweit des palaestinensischen Parlaments in Abu Dis setzen sich Kuenstler mit Foto- und Soundcollagen fuer die Ueberwindung politischer und mentaler Mauern ein.

Ein Laecheln, eine Geste, ein Stueck Waesche an der Leine. Es sind Bilder von Israelis und Palaestinensern. Freundliche Bilder der Gesellschaft. Fast Familienbilder, die unter Polizei- und militaerbewachung auf die Mauer geworfen werden. Es sind auch Bilder von anderen Menschen, die durch politische Mauern von einander getrennt sind oder waren. Protestanten und Katholiken in Nordirland. Griechen und Tuerken auf Zypern.

Westdeutsche und Ostdeutsche in Berlin. „Challenging Walls“ ist eine Foto- und Soundcollage aus 640 Fotografien von 8 international-renommierten Fotografen, Sybille Bergemann, Michael Reitz, Kadir Kaba, Nicolas Iordanou, Christopher Heaney, Frankie Quinn, Steve Sabella und Ruth Zuntz. Die Projektionen in einer Groesse von sechs mal vier Metern haben eine Gesamtlaenge von 48 Metern.

Sie dienen einem gemeinsamen Ziel. „Wir wollen mit dem Projekt den Menschen hinter der Maske des Feindes zeigen“, sagt die in Berlin lebende Initiatorin, Multimediakuenstlerin und Initiatorin des Projekts Ruth Zuntz. „Nur so kann man die Respektlosigkeit gegenueber der jeweils anderen Seite ablegen“.

Das „Challenging Walls“ - Team geht von einer grossen Strahlkraft der Aktion aus.

2000 Besucher koennen direkt teilnehmen.

Fuer viele 10.000e im Umkreis von einigen Kilometern bis zur Altstadt von Jerusalem sind die Projektionen noch zu sehen. „Challenging Walls“ bringt darueber hinaus Kuenstler, Wissenschaftler, Ex-Terroristen/ Freiheitskaempfer in einer Konferenz ueber Erfahrungen im Ueberwinden der Mauern von Irland bis Israel zusammen.

In den naechsten 12 Monaten geht die von der europaeischen Kommission und dem deutschen Auswaertigen Amt finanzierte Installation auf Reisen in die Hauptstaedte Nikosia, Belfast und Berlin. „Mauern sind die beste Garantie dafuer, dass Menschen sich nur als Feinde betrachten“, weiss die deutsch/israelische Medienkuenstlerin Ruth Zuntz. „Challenging Walls“ will diesen Prozess umkehren.

Weitere Informationen: Konferenzplan Internetseite mit Trailer www.challengingwalls.eu

Activities at a Glance July 11, 2007 Conference Registration 15.30-16.30 Conference at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute 16.30-21.00 Art Installation in the Abu Dis* 20.00-24.00 July 12, 2007 Art Installation in the Abu Dis* 20:00-24:00

*Buses available for conference participants and the general public on Wed., July 11, 21.00 at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, 11 Jabotinsky St. On Wed., July 12, 19.00 and 20.30 from the David Citadel Hotel, on Yitzhak Kariv St., Jerusalem. It will not be possible to reach the site independently.

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participants

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Nicolas Iordanou Cyprus

Kadir Kaba Cyprus

Born 1975, Cyprus.

He started working as a photojournalist after obtaining his degree from the Columbia College Chicago. He has travelled extensively in difficult situations covering conflicts and war situations in the Middle East. He has documented the Taliban movement as well as the 11 September mass destruction in New York.

Born 1947, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Kadir has been working as a professional photographer and journalist for over thirty years. He publishes articles on Cypriot Photography in newspapers and journals. At present, he is teaching basic and digital photography at European University of Lefke

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Sibylle Bergemann Germany

Michael Reitz Germany

Born 1941, Berlin, Germany.

Sibylle, whose works have been internationally exhibited and published for over four decades, is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated photographers from the former German Democratic Republic. She is a founding member of Ostkreuz and a member of the Akademie der Kuenste.

Born 1968, Germany.

Trained as an engineer, Michael was drawn into the artistic world when he attended the University of Arts in Berlin.

In 1997, he co-founded Walkscreen with Ruthe Zuntz and has since worked in the field of photography and new media.

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Christoper Heaney Northern Ireland

Frankie Quinn Northern Ireland

Born 1982, Northern Ireland.

He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art where he studied Visual Communications specializing in photography.

Heaney was the recipient of the Best of Show Award at D&AD London, a John Gillard Award Nominee and was awarded the Bram Stoker prize from the GSA. He has participated in several joint shows in Glasgow, London and Belfast. Issues concerning separation are a recurring theme in his work.

Born 1966, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

He has worked on a variety of topics for over 30 years that brought him on many occasions into the thick of events and incidents that marked the conflict in the north of Ireland and to other areas of conflict around the world, like Bosnia and Turkish Kurdistan, in the mid 1990s and in 2002 to Palestine and Israel.

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Ruthe Zuntz Israel

Steve Sabella Palestine

Born 1970, Haifa, Israel.

She studied graphic design at the University of Arts in Berlin.

Her research trip to New York City in 1996 has led her to focus into art photography while documenting nuances and fast phased city life. She cofounded Walkscreen with Michael Reitz and continues to work on international artistic collaborations.

Born 1972, Old City of Jerusalem.

He is one of the most widely exhibited artists in Palestine today. In less than a decade, he staged more than thirteen solo exhibitions. He also participated in numerous international exhibitions in Europe, Canada and the USA.

conference programme July 11, 2007 • 16.30 - 21.00 Van Leer Jerusalem Institute 43 Jabotinsky Street Jerusalem

Challenging Walls | 16.30-17.30

Walls in Israel and Palestine | 19.30-21.00

Opening Remarks: Dr. Shimshon Zelniker, Head, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Dr. Anat-Lapidot-Firilla, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Ruthe Zuntz, Anat Moshe, Initiators

Chair: Prof. Yehouda Shenhav, Tel-Aviv University and The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Dr. Meir Wigoder, Sapir College and Tel Aviv University “Vigilance: A User’s Guide to Photographing the Separation-Barrier-Wall.”

Ariel Handel, Tel Aviv University “Challenging Invisible Walls: Geographies of Uncertainty and Resistance in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.”

Rami Nasrallah, IPCC – International Peace and Cooperation Center “The Wall Fragmenting the Palestinian Fabric in Jerusalem.”

Naama Meishar, Landscape Architect, Faculty of Architecture, the Technion Haifa “The Landscaping and Naturalization of the Wall.”

Chair: Prof. Michael Levin, Shenkar College of Design and Engineering and Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, the Technion Haifa Nicolas Iordanou and Kadir Kaba, Greek and Turkish Cypriot photographers Frankie Quinn and Christopher Heaney, Catholic and Protestant photographers, Northern Ireland Sibylle Bergemann and Michael Reitz, East and West German photographers (in German) Ruthe Zuntz and Steve Sabella, Israeli and Palestinian photographers Walls in Belfast, Nicosia and Berlin | 17.30-18.30 Chair: Dr. Haim Yacobi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Prof. Arthur Aughey, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Dr. Yiouli Taki, INDEX, Nicosia, Cyprus Dr. Renate Schubert, Akademie der Kuenste, Berlin, Germany (in German) Reception hosted by the German Embassy | 18.30-19.30

(English translation will be provided for the lectures in German)

Free Admission Van Leer Jerusalem Institute | www.vanleer.org.il | Tel. +972 2 5605222 Challenging Walls | www.challengingwalls.eu

Main Funder

credit titles

Initiators Ruthe Zuntz, Michael Reitz – Walkscreen / Berlin Anat Moshe-Ostrower - Israel Project Staff Vanini Belarmino - Project Manager Susa Pop - Supervising Consultant Rula Khoury – Project Coordinator for Israel/Palestine Uta Wiebke Beer – Project Assistant Marleine van der Werf – Project Assistant Nini Moshe - Trailer Producer Ben-Or Consulting - PR Consultant Icon Club - Web Designer Designsansfrontieres.com - Graphic Designer

Co-organizers

INDEX Partners

Contributors Goethe-Institut Jerusalem Goethe-Zentrum Nicosia Jerusalem Tourism Authority Supporters

Co-funders

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