SANCTUARY
(2010 - 2020)
Sanctuary is a photographic series captured with an 8x10 plate camera starting in 2010, documenting a pivotal moment in the evolution of residential architecture in Israel. This series captures the emergence of a new architectural language—a generation of "architectureless" residential buildings, characterized by their efficiency-driven, profit-oriented design, produced through computer 3D simulation software. These structures, which proliferated rapidly like mushrooms after rain, redefine our understanding of what constitutes a home.
The photographs confront the viewer with the stark facades of these buildings, offering no external space to intervene or contextualize the scene. By focusing on the surfaces, the images emphasise the disconnection between the idealized digital simulations and the actual physical appearance of these buildings. The use of a large-format analog camera allows for the revelation of fragility in the details and the materiality of a fractured reality.
This series brings forth the politics of Israel on two interconnected levels: the economy of digital space and its translation into physical reality, and the military-industrial undertones evident in the ubiquitous ventilation panels, which mark the presence of bomb shelters in each apartment. The works engage in a dialogue between the political and the abstract. On one hand, these alienated structures speak to a language of defense and the industrial materiality in housing production. On the other hand, the surface of the photograph invites deeper observation and contemplation of the formal qualities rendered in each image.