Osnat Bar-Or

I started Photographing, somewhere at my twentieth, in the previous century. Photography at that time involved a long stay in the darkroom, while pictures evolved in the developer tray. Using tongs, the pictures were removed to the ‘stopper’ and to the ‘fixer’ and then to the drying rack, on their way to speak with the world. I made images looking outside and inward. Photography for me was a tool to learn and understand myself and the world around me, to read critically the visual text, to provoke questions and to develop awareness.

During the years I learnt and taught, I created visual projects with partners and friends that examine forces that construct reality of occupation, violence, waste and exploitation. I learnt about the potential of art as a tool to cultivate our voices and identities, about the role of images in constructing our perceptions and about the potential of images to challenge rethinking.

As a citizen and as individual within a community, I perceive art as a sphere for activity, where we can create space for different voices, especially those who are excluded, in order to create a dialogue of equals. Thus, I see the activity in the realm of art as a political and civic activity.

The site is a glance into 15 years of activity and a soil for future sprouting.

Osnat Bar-Or
Pardes- Hanna, Israel
October 2012