Here/Then and Now (كان ועכשיו) is a research group of artist I initiated in 2018 together with the Beit HaGefen Gallery in Haifa. (The first meetings of the group where held in collaboration with the Mamuta Art&Research centre in Jerusalem and Sharon Poliakin). Each year a new group of artist is formed, though some of the participants continue for several years.

The group gathers to think about how to evolve their artistic practice in relation to their local surroundings. The group discusses models of artistic interventions and looks into different types of artistic organisations. Through this inquiry the group participants ask to develop personal art tactics and skills tailored for each of them in regard to their living conditions.

Every year about 10 artists participate in the research group, committing to only one official expectation: to spare the time and be dedicated to the open conversation held in each meeting for 5 to 6 hours. The participants work in very different surroundings and with very different artistic practices, which allows the conversation to stretch out and not settle for agreement, but learn from differences.

To take part in a conversation: to listen and react spontaneously to what is happening in the conversation is what confronts the participants of the group with what I call behind the scenes of being an artist. The participants during the conversations face their decision making, standpoints, and motivations as artists. These behind the scenes modifications affect and effect their art practices and become crucial especially in socio-political conflicted areas like where I live.

Each year we also travel together to the different places the participants live in and each of them guides us through their surroundings. There they lead the group in a conversation with the place according to their practice.

Participants 2018-2021: Rahma Hamzi, Rotem Bides, Maisa Daher, Ruba Abu-Nasser, Haneen Abed, Dalleh Tarabey, Danielle Hassid, Juhaina Saade, Liroy Bar-Natan, Basma Bader, Eppie (Kreitner) Bat ILan, Valeria Geselev, Faten Abu-Ali, Sephi Gershoni, Netalie Ron-Raz, Yoav Lifshitz, Hanin Maree, Anat Zecharia, Fatiha Zouakou Simaan, Safa Kadah