Pinui Binui (Regeneration)
Mai Omer, Eyal Danon 2017
The third annual conference of the Center for Digital Art | January 18-19 2017. ​
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Curatorial text:
In July of this year, a new master plan for the city of Holon was approved. As part of the plan, an urban renewal process will take place in the Jessy Cohen neighborhood, where the Israeli Center for Digital Art is located. In light of this development, the Center’s annual conference will be dedicated this year to “Evacuation–Reconstruction” (Pinui Binui). The conference will focus specifically on urban renewal in Jessy Cohen, as well as on broader issues related to housing, home, and the relationship between residents and the places in which they live. The conference will take place over two days and will include workshops, talks, and lectures.
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The housing crisis is a pressing issue both in Israel and worldwide. It is both an emotional and a practical crisis, rooted in the destabilization of the concept of “home” and in the anxiety of displacement—of being left without a place, without shelter. In Israel, nearly every ethnic group, nationality, or community carries a history of displacement or migration, making this issue particularly charged. Urban renewal is often presented as a solution to housing problems through which neglected and aging neighborhoods undergo transformation: buildings, streets, and infrastructure are upgraded, and quality of life improves.
Many residents place their hopes in urban renewal and eagerly anticipate it. The promise of an improved standard of living (moving from public housing to a high-rise tower) and the potential increase in property value are especially appealing. However, this process can be a double-edged sword. Urban renewal may turn into gentrification, where neighborhood improvement comes at the expense of long-term residents: while quality of life improves, the cost of living rises to the point that original residents are forced to leave.
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This year’s conference at the Center for Digital Art will provide information about urban renewal processes, specifically about developments in Jessy Cohen. It will bring together residents, architects, artists, students, and municipal representatives to create a shared understanding of expectations regarding the neighborhood’s future, with the hope of improving residents’ quality of life.
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The conference content will focus on four main themes:
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Overview of urban renewal processes: an introduction to the subject from the perspective of its various stakeholders (e.g. residents, architects, municipal engineering departments, academics, and lawyers).
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Practical assistance and guidance for residents in neighborhoods: how residents can protect their rights and property.
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City and urban renewal: The advantages and disadvantages of using planning tools to address social problems.
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Art and gentrification: Artists and art institutions often play a role in gentrification processes, frequently accelerating them. Similar to urban renewal, art risks becoming committed to formalist principles and disconnected from the people around it. As a result, art institutions and activities in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods often serve themselves and capital owners at the expense of long-term local residents.
As an art center committed to influencing and changing political and social realities, it is important for us to articulate a clear response regarding our role in the Jessy Cohen neighborhood. We seek to investigate, both theoretically and practically, how art can function as a tool that serves a specific community of residents (and not only the art world).
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The conference featured:
Architect and lecturer Sharon Rotbard (Bezalel Academy) speaking on other cases of urban renewal, providing an introduction to the topic.
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Holon’s city architect, Penina Kol, presenting the specific case of Holon.
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Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, a group of planners and architects lecturing on the practical aspects of resident consultation.
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Sebastian Wallerstein from the Hagar Center at Tel Aviv University (in addition to this lecture, the Hagar Center participate in workshops with resident groups throughout the year).
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Neta Meizels and Itamar Hamerman from the Empty House art collective (Beit Reik),
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Dutch artist duo Bik van der Pol, presenting their work on the relation between artistic action, public space, and gentrification.
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Nissan Almog, a representative of Jane’s Walk Israel, and architectural historian and Dr. Yael Alweiss (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology) will discuss practices of civic architecture.
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During the morning and early afternoon hours, several workshops will take place:
A cooking workshop and shared lunch led by Haim Borenstein in collaboration with Dina Yekarson; a printmaking workshop led by Uriel Hartuv (Golem Press); and a participatory radio broadcast led by artist Talia Hoffman. A neighborhood walk in the tradition of Jane’s Walks, guided by local residents.
