‘Summer 2014 reacted to the events of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. This series of handmade paper cutouts was inspired by press photos of buildings destroyed in Gaza, directly extending my exploration of memory as a structure for constructing narratives. Memory and narrative are central themes in my practice, particularly the ways in which traumatic events shape—and sometimes inhibit—our ability to reflect upon or challenge the political realities we inhabit. Continuing Summer 2014 into 2015 was vital to me as the discourse surrounding the conflict was largely sidelined by Israeli media, despite the ongoing destruction in Gaza. The series reflects my personal confrontation with the profound emotions evoked by loss and destruction during violent conflict. I selected images—primarily of bombed buildings with few human figures—to frame fragments of reality. These images were then transformed into intricate manual paper-cut works, deconstructing and reassembling the devastation into a medium traditionally associated with feminine craft. This process not only aestheticizes destruction but also invites critical reflection on the visual language through which we understand the Israeli occupation and its recurring patterns of violence. The painstaking craft of "emptying" these images through paper-cutting creates a space for stillness and contemplation in the face of harsh realities, disrupting the immediacy and familiarity of press photography. Summer 2014 was an effort to create a reflective space that transcends apathy, addressing the human position within horrific events. By challenging the fear and anger that obscure our capacity to see the other, this series seeks to foster a deeper, more nuanced engagement with the consequences of conflict. The project included several exhibitions: Uncontainable (Janco Dada Museum, Ein Hod, 2015), Reflecting on Shadows (Artist House, Tel Aviv, 2015), While They Were Moving, They Were Moved (Gordon Gallery, Tel Aviv, 2015), What Doesn’t Bend Breaks (Schimming Gallery, Hamburg, 2015; Eigen Art Lab, Berlin, 2016), The Magnifying Glass and the Telescope (P/ART, Hamburg, 2015), Behind, the Human (Jaffa Museum, Jaffa, 2015), and a public artwork created during my residency at Taipei Artist Village, Taiwan (2015).
