Activestills: Photography as Protest in Palestine/Israel - Softcover

5

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780745336695: Activestills: Photography as Protest in Palestine/Israel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0745336698 ISBN 13: 9780745336695

Publisher: Pluto Press, 2016

In 2005, a group of photographers took a stand alongside the people of the small town of Bil’in, and documented their fight to stop the Israeli government building the infamous West Bank Barrier. Inspired by what they had seen in Bil’in, the group went on to form Activestills, a collective whose work has become vital in documenting the struggle against Israeli occupation and everyday life in extraordinary situations.

Activestills: Photography as Protest in Palestine/Israel examines the collective’s archive and activity from historical, theoretical, critical, and personal perspectives. It is the result of an in-depth dialogue among members of the collective and activists, journalists, intellectuals, and academics, and stands as the definitive study of the collective’s work.

Combining striking full-colour photographs with essays and commentary, Activestills stands as both a major contribution to reportage on Israel/Palestine and a unique collection of visual art.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Vered Maimon is a senior lecturer in the Art History Department at Tel Aviv University. Shiraz Grinbaum is the Activestills Collective’s curator and photo editor.

Review:

“Activestills is not only an account of a group of activist photographers challenging the human rights abuses of the Israeli state in the twenty-first century, it is also one of the most significant and original contributions to rethinking the politics of documentary practice in recent years.” (Oxford Art Journal)

"Activestills perfected the art of photography, providing viewers with a window into a reality that oppressors do not want seen. This touches souls and stimulates action for peace and justice. The book is highly needed, beautifully done, and riveting to the core."
(Mazin Qumsiyeh, author of Popular Resistance in Palestine)

"The Activestills collective have produced some of the most important and vital critical documentary work of our time. This book is a fitting tribute to their activity."
(Steve Edwards, Birkbeck College, University of London)

"The photographers of Activestills do not just take pictures and hope that something happens. Nor do they take them simply for the sake of memory. Instead, these frontline witnesses are inventing a new mode of conflict photography before our eyes - striking images, shockingly beautiful and painfully real, that are less about the struggle for justice and freedom in Israel and Palestine than actively involved in it. And they are doing it together - Palestinians and Israelis, and others - and thus already offering a demonstration of what might still be possible."
(Thomas Keenan, Bard College)

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.