Corner Stone ("GInat Ha'Avanim") is a public sculpture that was realized, planned, and created altogether with the people of Ofakim.

​

In February 2022, as part of Midarom Festival residency program, I was invited to live in Ofakim

(a humble town in the south of Israel), in order to create a public sculpture.

As I was not a resident of the town, I decided to get to know the people before deciding how their public space will be constructed.

At first, I began wandering around the city; letting myself fall into aimless situations and incidental encounters; to randomly embed myself in what I felt was the atmosphere of the place.

 

The rhythm of Ofakim is a unique one, it feels as if time has a life of its own. I started to slow down, and let go of rushing away; from having a precise idea, nor for my stay, or for the sculpture. I met various people who welcomed me and offered warm-hearted conversations. I asked them to tell me about the city, what they like about it, and what is it they miss in it. As the days went by, I kept absorbing from every corner, a deep sense of community and benevolence.

I understood furthermore that a public sculpture in Ofakim needs to be realized together with the community. I kept wandering.

​

I was errant in an unknown town. When I didn’t walk around, I spent my time in corner shops, where people were discussing "this and that".

Through random and arranged encounters I got to know the various neighborhoods, the residents, and the special culture that inhabits the town. During one of my many aimless walks, I encountered a huge pile of bricks that was cleared off the city center due to a renovation. I began arranging the bricks in lines.