On Saturday, January 6, at 20:30 there will be an opening of the exhibition
Unrecognized
Stories and images from the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, Israel
The exhibition is the summary of the long-term project by Tal Adler and it will accompanied by lectures and meetings.
150,000 Bedouin, Israeli citizens, live in the Negev. About half of them live in villages unrecognized by the state of Israel. Most villages have thousands of residents but the villages are not part of any municipality and do not enjoy basic services as water, education, health facilities, electricity, paved roads, etc.
“The Bedouins are taking over state lands illegally” is a well accepted claim in main stream Israeli public opinion. Reading through the history of the Negev and the state of Israel reveals the opposite: the state took over most of the Bedouin land in the Negev, and this process continues on to this day.
Tal Adler, photographer, artist, teacher and social-political activist, started the “Unrecognized” project in 2003 following reports of Bedouin fields in the Negev which had been sprayed with a toxic substance from the air, by the state. Adler met with individuals, groups, organizations and representatives of the various unrecognized villages. The result is a traveling exhibition of around 35 stories and photographs, one from each unrecognized village. The exhibition is used as a platform for events, lectures and meetings about the unrecognized villages and a chance to get to know their stories and special circumstances.