Observation / The Field Observers of the Gaza Sector: A Video Installation by Talya Lavie

Lavie turns her gaze to young women serving their mandatory military service assigned to seemingly junior positions, but who in practice bear enormous responsibility: they are required to sit for long hours in war rooms along the country’s borders, watching screens monitoring occurrences beyond the border fence.

The testimonies paint a picture of pride and solidarity, alongside frustration, challenging decisions, and moral dilemmas. The bonds of friendship formed between the observers through heart-to-heart conversations held during long shifts, with no eye contact, become a significant part of their lives. So do the relationships with their superiors and, somewhat unexpectedly, even with the subjects of their observation, whose life routines they come to know in intimate detail.

Lavie chooses to use a limited set of artistic means: the camera focuses on the face of each speaker, set against a black background. She avoids using additional footage and allows those who might otherwise seem transparent to be seen and heard. The video installation consists of two channels. On the main screen, the speakers appear in chronological order according to the time of their military service. The second channel, projected at the back of the gallery space, is arranged to simulate the shift change procedure, or the transmission of testimony, from one to another across time and space.

Running time: 60 minutes. Screenings start 15 minutes past the hour (beginning at 10:15)