A place of our Own

(Hardback)

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Description

Contrary to what we are often shown in the media, there is a growing group of young adults of Arabic descent demanding their rightful place in Israel's society. Smart and self-confident, they do not accept being seen as second-rate citizens; they are first-rate and fully part of Israel, whether the rest of the country likes it or not. And they will remain so, they are not going anywhere. They are building up their lives just as their Jewish counterparts are trying to do. Tel Aviv-based photographer and artist Iris Hassid, focusing in her work predominantly on the identity and culture of women and adolescents from different backgrounds, followed four young Palestinian women. Engaging in spontaneous, pleasurable, and often thought-provoking conversations, she photographed them over a six-year period. The outcome is as refreshing, remarkable, and hopeful as it is unclear. Hassid became even more puzzled about the country she lives in and is concerned about its future, and thus about the futures of Samar, Majdoleen, Aya, and Saja...

Reviews

A Place of Our Own can be perceived universally as a search for identity and self-determination in your tender early 20s, and the confusion and vulnerability of these first years of independence away from home. It can be seen as a desire for belonging in all aspects, and as a project about women's empowerment at an age when your friends are your family. It can also be viewed more locally as a portrait of trailblazing young Arab Palestinian women in Israel, trying to make a change in Arab and Jewish societies. Trying to fit in and to fulfil all their dreams of freedom, career, success and more, while maintaining their Palestinian identity.

--Aime McLaughlin, Creative review

The Israeli territory is a region full of differences and contrasts which have always attracted the attention of Iris Hassid, a photographer from Tel Aviv who focuses her work on long-term projects related to identity, culture and the representation of a female viewpoint from different social backgrounds. In A Place of Our Own, Iris Hassid decided to focus her attention on the new generation of young adults of Arab origin to document their daily life. But, above all, she wanted to present women Palestinian-Arab citizens of Israel in a different way than the version she saw portrayed in the media.

--Walter Borghisani, F-Stop magazine

Through this series, Hassid seeks to question the place of these women in both Israeli and Palestinian societies and the relationship that she, as an Israeli Jew, has with these young Palestinian women. What brings them together, what separates them, what makes them different By posing for the photographer in the streets of Tel Aviv, in their workplaces, in their apartments as well as with their families, the young women opened a door for Hassid, the door to a world that was unknown to her but that was nevertheless fully part of the reality of her country. Sometimes, Hassid photographed details such as the inside of a fridge or the top a fireplace, on which are photos of their friends, various objects, and DVDs. In these images, one can venture a guess as to the past, present, and future of these women.

--Sabyl Ghoussoub, Blind magazine

Author Bio

Iris Hassid is an Israeli photographer and artist who lives and works in Tel Aviv. She is co-founder and co-manager of the collective contemporary art gallery Binyamin. Her long-term projects predominantly focus on the identity and culture of young women and adolescents from different backgrounds. Relationships and collaborations with the subjects of her photographs form the basis of her way of working. Hassid has a BA in Political Science from Tel Aviv University and studied at the Camera Obscura School of Art. She also holds an M.F.A from the University of Haifa. Her work has been exhibited widely in Israel and many other countries. Manal Shalabi lives in Haifa. She is a lecturer, activist, and feminist researcher. She has a PhD in social work from the University of Haifa, and a social worker specializing in the treatment of gender-based violence. Shalabi is the Founder and General Director of Adar Foundation, a forum for professional men and women in the fight against crimes against women. Gilad Melzer lives and works in Tel Aviv. He is a cultural and art researcher, curator, senior lecturer in the Midrasha Faculty of Arts, and art and literature critic. Meltzer studied film at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and cultural studies at New York University. He has directed documentaries, written for television series, and was editor of the magazine Hamidrasha.