The title of the work, ‘Orient,’ carries a dual meaning: the perspective of the ‘West’ towards the ‘East’ on one hand, and the act of aligning or positioning something in relation to compass points on the other.

This work serves as a tribute to the tile patterns found in the historic homes of Jaffa. Many of these homes, originally belonging to Palestinian families, were left vacant as a result of their displacement during the Nakba, ultimately becoming state-owned properties. As the original inhabitants of these homes, with their distinctive patterned floors, vanished, these floors persisted, often romanticized for their “Oriental” aesthetics, yet failing to acknowledge the lives that once traversed them. Some of these lives were abruptly disrupted, while others gradually faced displacement over the years as gentrification gained traction in Jaffa.

The floor’s pattern features a compass, but as one navigates through the rows of tiles, the compass distorts. Suddenly, a compass that once clearly indicated one direction slowly transitions to point towards many other directions, evoking a sense of disorientation, a loss of bearings, and confusion. ‘Orient’ delves into the emotions experienced when something once familiar undergoes a transformation, turning it nearly unrecognizable.

Curators: Omer Sheizaf and Yoav Weinfeld