The exhibition is a part of an ongoing work that examines the visual manifestation of concepts like nationality and ritual at Israeli cultural institutions.

The project was carried out at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, between 2006 to 2017 and included the region of Nation’s Leaders Plot, the national military cemetery, and the Yad-Vashem National Holocaust Institute. The images and video examine how national ideals are expressed through memorial institutions’ architectural aesthetics and emphasize the visitor’s emotional experience in these places.
“Visions of Heaven and Hell” deals with the gaps between pleasing aesthetics and the trauma-based national identity.
Through the use of still images, video, and image manipulation, Altaratz creates a rich visual experience that intensifies the aesthetic character of the images along with the viewer’s emotional response while at the same time blurring his critical thinking.

The show was curated by Sara Kopelman

Videos (please click the image to play)

Doron_Altaratz_Visions_of_Heaven_and_Hell_garden
Doron Altaratz visions of heaven and hell
Visions of Heaven and Hell (part 6) – Twilight of the Gods