Artist Statement
I collect images that are part of a developing
investigation and observation process. This process
began and continues with the understanding that
war and conflict – as an essence – are part of my
life in Israel. This long term examination finds varied
expressions through photographic structures dealing
with a specific theme or location. Though the images
are divided into photo sequences, they mark points in
time of an ongoing process that composes one body
of work, bounded in my archive.
One of the key elements which accompanies
this process is the formulation of a spilt, yet not
expressionless, manner of observation; a point of
view that its only anchor is positioning question
marks and challenging existing conventions, which
aspires to reach a fine balance between the one
who hears and sees things for the first time, to the
one who lives and breathes the nuances.

 

 

Noa Ben-Shalom Israeli b.1975, based in Jaffa Tel-Aviv.
Ben-Shalom works in the medium of photography & film. Completed BFA at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design 2001.
In her work Ben-Shalom explores how the condition of conflict influence landscape and people in Israel Palestine.
Her recent book ‘Hush Israel Palestine 2000-2014' tells the story of a society living through a recurring loop of violent outbursts, in which, time and again, life is shattered into pieces and reconstructed. It is a photo book that deals with the long lasting effects of an apparently never-ending conflict, passed on by generations. Through personal correspondence and images spanning over a decade, Noa Ben-Shalom turns her camera away from the more obvious scenes of direct violence in order to focus on the subtle ways this conflict has permeated all aspects of life in Israel Palestine, almost without being noticed. 'Hush' enables a quiet moment of introspection within a landscape in which the absurd has become the norm.

Ben-Shalom is now working on her first documentary film in collaboration with Dutch photographer and film maker Geert Van Keteren, The movie After the Cease Fires follows the blossoming industry of political tours and the dangerous melange between the ancient past, archeology and the present conflict.
In addition she is collaborating with the Digital Art Lab in Holon on a solo exhibition ‘ Operating System’ which will focus on Ben-Shalom’s photo archive and making it accessible to a wide audience.

 

Cross-Reference