Between Haifa and Jericho: Historic Cities in the Photographs of Ze'ev Aleksandrowicz

Ze'ev (Wilhelm) Aleksandrowicz (Kraków 1905 Tel-Aviv, 1992) first arrived in Palestine as a tourist, towards the end of 1932. He produced hundreds of photographs and returned to visit in the second half of 1934 and in 1935. In this short period, Aleksandrowicz created an impressive and extensive oeuvre, which narrates the story of the region from his unique perspective. His work is dedicated mainly to describing the rich life of the local population, and a smaller section of it is dedicated to depicting natural and urban landscapes.

This exhibition follows Aleksandrowicz' touristic position, which searches for the adventure embodied in new unfamiliar places, in historical and cultural sites. The exhibition also examines the photographer's unique gaze; a foreign "wandering" gaze, by using terminology from the 19th century French literary tradition of the "flanuer". German philosopher and cultural critic, Walter Benjamin discussed this tradition in relation to the experience of wandering through the urban space.

In affinity to this tradition, in his wanderings, Aleksandrowicz was able to capture anonymous passersby and un-staged day-to-day situations. The exhibition shifts the gaze from the distinct forms of Zionistic settlement Aleksandrowicz documented in his travels to Palestine, to the urban landscape of cities with a rich history. It focuses on the way in which Aleksandrowicz captured the contingent and fleeting aspects of cities brimming with commerce and local life.