The Tears Project
Participatory project, 2020; ongoing
During the days of COVID-19 pandemic, the definitions of what is an “essential need” dictated both the personal and the collective accessibility to the public space. In Israel, the sea had become banned during the lockdowns that were enforced: The access to it was legally denied and those who trespassed were under the risk of financial fines and police violence. During those days, my deep sense of longing to the sea lead to an artistic reaction- an active way to create a parallel body of water that is made from similar materiality of salt water- tears. Soon enough after starting to collect, I realized I could not cry a sea of tears by myself and “The Tears Project” was born.
In the Tears Project, I invite whomever who’s interested to consciously join and shed a tear. The tears contributions are collected and assembled to, eventually, a creation of a large body of salt water: an ex-nihilo wo/man-made sea. Participation could be in solo crying, or while interacting with me in a crying-gathering, where I try to provide a safe space for my partner to cry. Though tears are aimed to be shed, there is no anticipation they would. In one way or another, intimate interactions are held- words, feelings or bodily fluids are exchanged for a collective alternative art work, that functions as a poetic utopian gateway to taking control over the public space, as well as our own bodies and emotional release.
Territorial in essence, the Tears Project seeks to shed light over the freedom of movement or lack of, both during COVID-19 days and in relation to the occupied territories and the access to Gaza's beach.
Since its creation, the project has transformed into various formats: In an exhibition in 2021-2022 at Kabri Gallery- a joint Jewish-Arab art gallery in the Galilee, I waited above the gallery, observing the sea, offering to realize my participant's and myselfs' freedom of movement and take part in a crying gathering while traveling by foot throughout the complex of the gallery and around the Kibbutz in which it is situated. In the Arad version in 2023, the project carried other internal contexts and was realized as a participatory action in the public space of the city (for more information, click here).
The Tears Project researches the relations between sea, territory, freedom of movement, culture and society and offers active participation in validating, undermining or forming them.
I invite us all to have a good cry about it.
In the photo: Preserved tears.
