'The Workshop', a video art installation I shot for the artist Gilad Ratman, is a multi-channel site-specific installation at the Israeli Pavilion for the 55th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

The Workshop documents the journey of a community of people from Israel to Venice, through a non-linear presentation of video, installation, sound and a physical intervention in the fabric of the Pavilion itself. By breaking up the screen and the space of the pavilion Ratman meditates on the dichotomy of a surface and what lies beyond it. Considering Israel participation in a more political view, The Workshop's site-specificity by Ratman's art reflects on the Biennale as a Utopian model of nations' connectivity or as a world where transit can take place across national borders in hidden networks.

The project consisted of some very difficult shooting conditions - including a large cast and remote underground locations.
The caves sequences where an exceptional challenge - shot in real caves around Israel - some requiring shooting while literally crawling with no electricity.
For this propose I used the (then) new Canon C-300 with it's low light shooting capabilities and compact build. 
For lighting the cave interiors we utilized as much Practical lights we could get - headlights and flashlights - which where augmented with large lightpads we could carry to the caves.

Check out 'the Workshop' presentation boards here.

Commissioned by the Israel Ministry for Culture and Sport.

News from the Project

June 2013 to November 2014 // 'The Workshop' opening in – La Biennale di Venezia

The Workshop is opening at the Israeli Pavilion at this year’s 55th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

June 2013 // Great Reviews for 'The Workshop' in the Venice Art Biennale

Great Reviews for 'The Workshop' at the 55th Venice Biennale. Here are sone highlights:
The Guardian includes "The Workshop" in its 10 of the best artists selection.
From The Independent "Review: 55th Venice Biennale Giardini, Venice":
"...The Israeli Pavilion is likewise fascinating. Artist Gilad Ratman has made a film of hippies tunnelling through the bowels of the earth and emerging into a gallery. They set up a workshop and mould clay into busts; faces take shape. The hippies claw at the eyes and mouths they have created, before burrowing microphones into the clay heads and howling strange incantations. Like a ship of fools, this is art made feral and disturbing..."

October 2014 to November 2014 // 'The Workshop' opening in Macba Art Museum - Buenos Aires

After opening in the Venice Biennale 'The Workshop' will be on display at the Macba Art Museum in Buenos Aires until November 9th.

The Workshop. Channels 3 & 4

Compilation of three of the four videos that are distributed in different spaces across the Pavilion.

Biennale Arte 2013 - Israel

installation view at the 55th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Top left: Gilad Ratmans interview for the Biennale di Venezia Channel.

Part of the cast of 'The Workshop' getting ready for shooting in one more cave.