Right-wing students vandalized an Activestills photo exhibition at an academic conference entitled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance,” a few hours before the opening reception was to take place in Ramat Gan on Sunday.

The Activestills photography collective was invited to exhibit 70 images from its archives and present them at the central vitrine in the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design’s main entrance hall for a period of two days, to accompany the conference held in a nearby auditorium.

Activestills exhibition seen in final stages of preparations, March 28, 2014. (Activestills.org)

A few hours after the photographs were put in place, organizers of the conference — Dr. Michal Gal, head of the visual culture faculty, and Dr. Michal Chaham, a lecturer — realized the whole exhibition had been taken down, allegedly by students, and thrown in the garbage. After consulting with Activestills, the organizers decided to keep the torn frames and rehang what remained of the  photos, keeping the untidy order and the torn pieces to reflect that the destruction had made the exhibition interactive; the remounted exhibition reflected the act of vandalism.

Students at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design view a photo exhibit of Activestills photos during a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan, Israel, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)

As the conference opened, dozens of angry students gathered at the entrance to the hall. Political arguments — in opposition to and in support of the exhibition — filled the already tense air.

The students soon split into two groups. The first group denounced the “politicization” of the academic institution’s public space and claimed the exhibition “hurt its feelings.” Composed of right-wingers, this group derided the photos, cursed the photographers and targeted their outspoken criticisms at the head of the faculty for allowing the images to be displayed. Many among them asserted, “this is our public space and I don’t want to see these images all day when I cross the hall,” or alternatively, “These are all lies; Palestinian propaganda.” The students also expressed racism, suggesting that, “Whenever [Palestinians] see a camera they become miserable.”

A teacher at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design trying to defend Activestills’ exhibition in front of angry students during a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)

Members of the faculty expressed shock from the vitriolic response. Dr Michal Gal, told Haaretz that evening:

I’m shocked and supprised. I thought we were in a relatively safe place, where one could express one’s self. We wanted to raise questions about visual culture, between obedience and resistance. I had interesting talks with my students about silencing others, about deep misunderstandings about the concept of democracy, and how dangerous it can be to endanger it. The students defended the rights of the artists to hold their exhibit.”

A second group tried to defend the content of the exhibition but they too were upset that it was presented in a space used by students. They argued that the exhibition should have been shown in the school’s gallery and not in a public space where the students have “no choice” but to see the photos as they walk by.

More “lefty” students exhibited a more “technical” criticism, albeit more quietly. However, they quickly tired of arguing with the right-wing group, which became more and more aggressive and determined to “not let this go by quietly,” and to once again tear the exhibition down. After an hour of heated debate the conference began, and a security guard was asked to keep a close eye on the exhibition.

A student at Shenkar Collage of Engineering and Design taking a photo of Activestills exhibition during a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan city, Israel, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)

There was also a third group of students, who expressed support for the exhibition, quietly gazing at the photos and photographing them with their cellular phones. One member of this group, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, said: “I don’t understand what the fuss is all about. There isn’t even one photo of a dead Palestinian here.”

On the second day of the conference the right-wing group decided to hang a “counter-exhibit” directly over the exhibition itself. The students downloaded photos from the Internet of Israeli soldiers crying and Israeli army medics treating injured children at the scenes of suicide bombing attacks.

A photo of Israeli army forces taken from the Internet (without caption) by Shenkar students seen covering Activestills images, as a response the exhibition. The students protested “un equal representation of the conflict”, in their words, at a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan, Israel, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)

They hung A4-sized leaflets that read: “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequences,” and taped them over the exhibited photos. They also placed four Israeli flags on both sides of the exhibition. Many of them stayed throughout the day and tried to convince passersby to join them in their protest.

The debates continued until later in the evening when the exhibition was removed after the closing session of the conference.

A slogan covering Activestills photos between two Israeli flags placed by nationalist students as a response to the exhibition. The students protested “un equal representation of the conflict”, in their words, during a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan, Israel, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)

Students at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design viewing a photo exhibit of Activestills photos during a conference titled “Visual Culture Between Obedience and Resistance”, Ramat Gan, Israel, March 30, 2014. (Activestills.org)