Oranges from Jaffa, female soldiers patrolling the beaches or orthodox Jews grouped by the Wailing Wall are the images that usually catch people’s interest during their first visit of Israel; and these are the moments that they usually attempt to capture for memory’s sakes. Others are familiar with Israel through the media, that mainly present the country through snapshots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The aim of this exhibition is to introduce Israel from a different perspective.

We present photographs from the secular Tel Aviv, religious Jerusalem but also from the desert and from the Dead Sea. We showcase curious everyday situations, we familiarize the viewer with the daily life of the ultraorthodox Jewish community, we display images that capture the religious holidays such as Day of Atonement (Jom Kipur) or Purim in an unusual way. These amusing, often surrealistic moments help unravel the complexity of the Israeli society in a kindly humorous way, but also with a certain amount of sarcasm and call for contemplation.

All this is done through the lenses of three photographers, who are united through their passion for street photography. They walk through the city or a beach with a camera at their hip, waiting for unique moments. Their level of alertness is, in a strange way, similar to going hunting. To observe the lights and shadows, to perceive the people passing by as objects, to have a sense for detail and composition. The weapon of choice is not only the camera, but first and foremost the eye. Sometimes the prey gets away, but if the hunter manages to press the shutter and capture the moment, a feeling of great satisfaction follows, along with the desire to keep on hunting.

Alex Levac is a professional photographer and photojournalist as well as a laureate of the prestigious Israel Prize. Gabi Ben Avraham and Ilan Beh Yehuda hunt for photographs in their free time. Thanks to their talent, both have won multiple awards, for example the Israeli photojournalist competition Local Testimony prize. All of them are trying to capture unique moments, that are, at the time, often seen only by them. In this way, they tell the story of the streets, everyday life and Israeli society.

Pavlina Schultz, curator

(*1960) is Israeli born. He works in a software company and lives in a quiet neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the city which he grew up in, has never left and is a part of his photography. He enjoys cinema and music, and during the 1980’s he photographed using film cameras. He did not touch a camera for 20 years until he received a digital camera as a gift for his birthday from his wife 5 years ago. The rest is history…

was born in 1960 in Israel and works as a graphic designer for the fashion industry. He studied photography at Camera Obscura, Tel Aviv and also has a degree in philosophy from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. The last five years, he has been devoting much of his time to street photography. Looking at his portfolio, one feels how essential patience and a thoughtful approach are towards the likes of making a classy surprising picture.

(*1978) In Israel she studied Photography and Graphic Design. She focuses on Street and Documentary Photography and has created various series such as The Wingmen: A story of Czechoslovak pilots and air-force technicians in the service of Israel or Tell Me What You Eat about Israeli vegans. In Prague she has exhibited also the series Stories From Tel Aviv Bench or TLV24, both capturing everyday life in Tel Aviv. She is the author of the blog FromTelAviv.com.