When I was approached by ArtportTLV I was quite skeptical, wondering whether the major donor, the Arison Foundation, would agree to the project if the outcomes weren't defined in advance. But when I met Assa Bigger who had been chosen as the curator and director of the residency, I knew immediately that I would have a partner for the complex process. I began to explore the area where the residency was to be situated in south Tel Aviv, and in no time, I came upon the community center in the Shapira neighborhood. Near the soccer field I discovered the clubhouse for youth in the adjacent bomb shelter. The young people there attracted my attention. Their vitality was contagious. Gradually I was able to build a broad partnership with them. I developed a good working relationship with Shiri Rothman, the director of the community center, Lily Rothstein, the regional coordinator of the Ichpat center, the youth counselors Maor Kadosh and Matan Hertz, and the soldier-teacher Liat Harari. The idea was to create a long-term framework of weekly meetings with a group comprised of youth from the clubhouse. The meetings included exposure to art in the public space, to artists, and to creative processes, with the intention of creating a joint art project in the public space. The artist Michal Avgar-Daniely joined the initiative and along with Bigger we began to think about a project. Since we had introduced the young people to the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and to Niki de Saint Phalle’s sculpture in Jerusalem known as “The Monster,” and to the technique of sculpting with cement, they could dream together about designing and building a sculptural element.
The group decided to build a bench-sculpture above their clubhouse that was situated in the bomb shelter of the community center. Their vision was to create a sculptural element from which they could view the soccer field, and which would also be inviting as a place to sit and talk and play music. The planning was finalized during a series of preparatory clay workshops, in which each participant sculpted a model of a bench based on the idea that had been developed. Taken together, the ideas led to the emergence of the needs, limitations, and solutions arrived at for the general design of the desired end result. At this stage, the artist Yaron Bareli joined us to help transform the preliminary sketches into realizable plans. During the Hanukkah holiday in the winter of 2013 the youths laid the foundation for the sculpture. They learned to weld, make concrete, and pour foundations. Children from the neighborhood helped to build the sculpture, as the cement was mixed on location and it was applied in layers.
Following two weeks of intensive work the sculpture was almost completed. During the winter months repairs and final touches were made and the sculpture was left to dry fully before it would be painted when the weather grew warmer. In the summer of 2013, the youth were invited to a tour of “The Seventh Floor” international graffiti exhibit that was held at the Central Bus Station, adjacent to the Shapira neighborhood. The tour was led by local graffiti artist Guy Mofaz who showed the group different styles of graffiti and told them about the history of street art. After the tour, the decision was made to have Guy create a work of graffiti on the sculpture. The work was to be inspired by the type of speech used by the youth in the neighborhood. The Tel Aviv Municipality Urban Beautification Department joined us and provided artificial grass, wood benches, and trash cans. The participants documented the project in a video that can be viewed here.
The sculpture was designed and built by the youth from the Shapira meeting place:
Assaf Halili, Gabriella Yosofov, Yossi Haimov, Yossi Nisnov, Yisrael Zvulunov, Milana Yosofov, Moshe Yosofov, Matan Hashmonai, Raziel Tahlov, and Rafael Yasmailov
and with the help of the youth from the Shapira neighborhood:
Agam Mor-Halabi, Elkana Bashan, Ariel Aliva, Tal Yehud, Yair Cohen, Nadine Ayad, Nahal Mor Halabi, Nahurai Gol, Eden Adam, and Sharon Azroya
The project is the result of cooperation among the following:
ArtportTLV, the Shapira Community Center – the Department for Community Centers – the Youth and Sport Wing – the Tel Aviv, Jaffa Municipality, Ichpat – the Department for the Advancement of Children and Youth at the Tel Aviv, Jaffa Municipality
